The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-10-07
Cheat or Chess.

l. 'NSAA
the cause of more discussion than BronlatS
SecdlinuS, variously known as Wizards
bromus, cheat and chess. This grass
was introduced into New England about
forty years ago, with q great flourish of
trumpets, by one Willard, who made the
most eXtrayagant assertions relative to
its value as a forage plant, selling the
seed as high as 81 and 50 a bushel, with
the contract that the product should be
cut before its seed had ripened, desiring
to keep the sale of it in his own hands.
Ripe specimens of the product of some
of the seed were gathered in 1856 by
Prof. Charles l.. Flint, who pronounced
it chess, in which decision Prof. Gray
and others conceded.
But what is chess? Simply variety
of the BrOnuS family, in which there are
several varieties. The name comes from
a Greek word, signifying food, the seeds
of the grass having been sometimes
eaten. The ancient name for oats,
Bromos, has the same derivation. The
plant came to us from Europe, where at
one time it was cultivated to consider
able extent, but was finally found to be
comparatively worthless, and had no
place in agriculture anywhere until Mr..
Willard took it up as above mentioned.
1t would not be worthy of any notice
but for the fact that in some sections it
has become pest in wheat fields where
it has been unintentionally sown with
the wheat. Fortunately it is easily eradi
Gated, for, being an annual, it does not
get permanent possession of the ground,
and little care in selecting seed would
render its presence uncommon.
While a careful observer can readily
distinguish the seed of chess from the
grains of wheat there are many who
pay no attention to the matter. They
believe they have good seed wheat, and
do not take the trouble to know. When
the wheat grows, cheat appears with it,
The farmer is strong in his asSeyeratiOnS
that he sowed wheat and wheat only,
and the question then is, Where did the
chess come from? Some one probably
said years ago that the wheat must have
turned to chess, and others, ready to be-
lieve the marvellous, assented But,
however the idea may have originated,
the belief in the Transformation of wheat
to chess may now be claSsed among the
great number of vulgar errors that have
possession of many people, some of
them, too, so well formed on most sub
iects that the few that can entertain a
belief in something at once so antagon-
istic to reason and common sense excite
our surprise. We doubt, however, if
any in America can be found who will
agree with many in the Old World as to
the more complete change that many
there believe in; that is, that under GER
tain conditions of soil, culture or eli
mate wheat will undergo great variety
of transformations, changing sometimes
first to rye, the rye afterward appearing
as barley, the barley changing to Bro
mus or cheat, and this again showing it
self in the form of oats, But the error
is really not greater than to suppose
wheat can change to chess. In fact, if
it could be anything but wheat we might
as readily suppose it would change to
anything else as to cheat.
Because it is sometimes found in one
section of field and not in another, the
believer in transmutation looks for
reason, and-frequently finds one to satisfy
him. An acquaintance of ours was once
asked to look at field where near the
fence chess was abundant, while else
where there was little to be seen. There,
it was said, cattle reached over the fence
in early summer, eat off the tops of the
wheat, and the result was the stalks
were topped with chess. II will explain
that" said the gentleman. "The wheat
and chess in this field all started to-
gcther; the wheat being the best grower,
overtopped and shaded the chess so it
did not grow well. When the growth
of the wheat was stopped by the cattle,
the chess took fresh start, and got the
upper hand, showing itself as you now
see it. Now, so confident am | of my
theory, that l will wager you may meas
ure square yard here where the chess
is the thickest, and another one in any
part Of the field, gather the chess from
the two places, and there will be but very
little difference in the number of plants
Obtained 1t was done, and the most
plants were obtained from the square
yard where they showed the least.
1t is as impossible for grain of wheat
to produce anything but wheat as it is
for an orange seed to grow into an apple
tree, or a cucumber seed to produce
watermelons. 1t may seem useless to
| spend time in discussing the matter.
The fact that we know so many are still
inclined to believe the contrary is our
only excuse. N. Y. San.