The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-10-29
A SHORT HISTORY OF WHEAT.


The varieties Of wheat are almost
numnerlcSs. and their characters wary
widely under the influence of cultivation
aud climate. There are said t. lie loO
distinct varieties in the museum Oi Cor
nell | University. On the slopes Of tie
mountainsrf Mexico and Nalapa the lux
uriance Of vegetation is such that wheat
does not form ears. In japan, II IS said
the wheat has been 50 developed by the
japanese farmers, that no matter how
much manure is used. the straw viii not
grow larger, though the length OF the
ear increases. The height is rarely mole
tiiau two feet, and often not more than
twenty inches Through selection win
ter. wheat has been changed to sHmmer
wheat in three years, and Summer wheat
converted in the same time 10 winter
wheat. In general, wheat is the most
esteemed of cereal productions, but in
Abyssinia, according to Parkyns, the
flour Of the "tefT'' or 'dugasSa, scarce
Is yalaJable TO Europeans, is preferred
by the natives to any other grain.
Isis was supposed TO have introduced
wheat into Egypt, Demeter into G reece,
and the Emperor Chin Wong into China
about 1000 Is. {. In Europe IL was cui-
tivated before the period of history, rs
samples have been recovered from the
lacustsine dwellings Of Swift Zerland. In
England il was probably not cultivated
by the ancient BritOns, but the Anglo
SaxOns " hen Bede wrote early in the
eighth century, sowtd their wheat in
he spring, and in the days of Queen
Elizabeth its cultivation was but part ial.
Indeed, wheat was an article of compaT-
ative luxury till nearly the seventeenth
century. Ia India wheat seems 10 be
native. but intToduceTs of its SanScrit
name singnifies food of the barharian;'
yet three varieties are mentioned in the
Bhayaprakasa, one of which. a large
grained, il said TO have come from the
West, and another, a small grained or
Ocardless wheat il said to have been in
digenous to Middle India.
The first wheat raised in the "New
W Norld'' was SOwn by SpaniardS on the
island ot Isabella, in January, 1494, and
on March 30 the ears were gathered.
Tie foundation Of the wheat harvest Of
Mexico is said 10 have been three or four
grains carefully cultivated in 1880, and
preserved by a slave OF CorteZ. The
crop OF Quito WAS raised by u Francis
can monk in front OF Tie convent. Gar
cilaSSO de ia NerEa afiims that in Peru.
up 70 l5iI. wheaton bread had not been
sold at Cusco. Wheat was first SowE by
GOsnold on Cuttyhunk, one of EliZabeih's
islands in BuZZard's Bay. of 4Iassachu-
sets, in 1902, when he lirst explored the
coast. In 1904, on the island OF st.
Croiy, near Calais, Me-, the Sieur de
Monts had some wheat sown. which
fioUrished finely. In 1911 the first wheat
appears to have been sown in Virginia.
In 1896 samples of wheat grown IL the
Dutch colony at New Netherlands were
shown in Holland. II il probable that
wheat was Sown in the Plymouth colony
m 50, ErsH sd
of II, aud in 1929 wheat was ordered
from England to be used as seed. In
Ills wheat was introduced into the val
ley of the Mississippi 10y the w esterr
Company In 1879 il was among be
cultivated crops Of the Simus Indians Of
the Celia, river New Mexico.-Nillers'
Naguzjac