Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-04-23
Wheat and Cheat.

It has been a disputed question as long as
we can remember, whether wheat seed under
any condition of soil will degenerate and
bring crop of chess. A very large portion
Of practical farmers who sow and reap crops
of wheat every year, and who have every op-
portunity to observe all the changes nature
produces in these crops, maintain that wheat
will turn to cheat, and that it often does do
so when the season is very vet and the soil
cold. On the other hand scientists who have
closely studied the laws of vegetable produc-
ton, and many of whom have instituted
special experiments to determine the truth of
the matter in dispute, insist that wheat and
chess are as distinct varieties OF grasses as
are wheat and corn or barley and oats, and
that one cannot produce the other any more
than barley can produce cats or corn rye
Now there is no doubt that wheat and chess
belong to distinct genii or varieties Of plants.
Botanists class the former as OF the
genus triticum, while they give to tie
latter the name br0muS Secdtium. The
English also give TO chess or CHEAT the
common name OF darnel, which they also give
to the different varieties of rye grass, which
chess very much resembles in appearance.
We have always steadily maintained the
opinion that wheat and cbsss were distinct
grasses, and that it was impossible for the
former to degen rate into the latter. We
have always stated, however, that the opposite
opiaion had many strong reasons for It's sup
port. Our attention has just been called to a
small patch or plat Of chess, the history Of
which is certainly calculated to bring doubt
to the strongest believer in the position
taken by the scientists on this subject. Ii
the town of Washington, Yolo county, John
7 j J 1t
probably 40 by so, of clean sediment land,
With wheat, taking particular pains to
get the cleanest and plumpest of
seed. The soil had been filed up some two
or more feet deep with clean sediment from
the river bar in front OF the town. It had
been sown once TO barley and alfalfa, bat the
alfalfa having been killed out by sipage- water
year ago, it was plowed and sown last fall
to clean wheat The wheat came up and
made a fine growth during the forepart of
winter, looking as green and rank as could be
wished. We had frequently remarked its
apparent vigor IN passing it, as we did fre-
quently. During the high water of the lat
ter part of winter we had paid no attention
to it particularly, but had noticed lately that
it had lost its green, rank appearance, and
had assumed light, yellowish, glossy green.
| On yesterday, as we were passing it, we dis
| covered that what we had all the time looked
upon as wheat, wss nothing more nor leg;
than a patch Of genuine cheat, OF chess
The heads or spikes are just making theil
appearance, and upon close inspectionwe could
not fad single head or spike of wheat IN
the whole lot. Not another spear Of
chess is to be found IL any other lot near this,
aud nothing but chess in this. Nov we think
! it cannot be disputed that the same blades oi
wheat and the same stems or stalks that came
a, -.
were sown there are there It'll, ana we think
it cannot be disputed that these same stems
now have on them pipes or heads of what
is universally recognized as chess or c. eat.
Those who doubt that wheat viii turn to
chess should see this illustration.