The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-03-28
History of Wheat.

As staple article of food and commerce
wheat has been known from the earliest
ages. It is not known to exist in other
than cultivated state. 1t is supposed to
have originated in Central Asia, but recent
discoveries have thrown some doubt on
that spoint. M. Fabre, of France, a dis
tinguished naturalist, made the discovery
several years ago that the -1zgliops ovata,
a grass of the region near the Mediterra-
mean, and Of the west of Asia, becomes
transformed by cultivation into wheat.
The possibility Of such transformation
has been confirmed by subsequent obser-
vations and experiments.
Wheat was chief crop in ancient Egypt
and Palestine, and is more frequently men
toned in Scripture than any other kind OF
grain, where its bountiful yield and its i'm
portant relations to the sustenance of hui
man life afford theme for many beautiful
lessons.
The granaries of Egypt and other centres
of ancient civilization were often of i'm
mense size and were conspicuous objects
among the public edi6ces of the time.
Grains of wheat have been found in the
wrappings of Egyptian mummies which had
retained their power of Termination through
the lapse Of centuries.
Although the Greeks, and more particn-
Iarly the Spartans, affected to despise agri-
culture as degrading pursuit they were
obliged to devote considerable attention to
wheat-raising as a means of livelihood
Hesiod, one of the earliest Greek poets, in
his Works and Days" makes frequent
mention of wheat. Among the Romans
wheat-raising, in common with other
branches of agriculture, was prosecuted
with vigor and success Roman writers on
agriculture gave particular directions in re-
gard to the cultivation of wheat. 1t is
mentioned by Virgil in his "Georgics.
Wheat was early introduced into Great
Britain, but until very recent times its pro-
duction was so limited that only the wealth.
Ter classes could afford to use it as food.
Mention is made of the fact that in the
eighth century the monks of the abbey Of
St. Edmund. in England, ate barley bread
because the income of the abbey was not
sufficient to admit of their using wheat.
In England down to the close of the seven
teenth century servants and other working
people were Obliged to content themselves
with bread made from the eoarser grains.
Eden in his History Of the Poor" (1797)
says: $50 small was the quantity of wheat
used in the county of Cumberland, that it
was only rich family that used peck of
wheat in the course of the year, and that
was used at Christmas. The usual treat
for stranger was a thick oat cake (called
haUer bannock) and butter. One old la
bourer remarks that when he was boy he
was at Carlisle market with his father, and
wishing to indulge himself with a penny
loaf made of wheat -four, he searched for it
for some time, but could not procure a
piece of wheaton bread at any shop in
town"
At the period of the Revolution in 1889,
the quantity of wheat grown in England
was estimated at about IA, 1000, 900 bushels,
or about three bushels to each of the pop
nlation, which was then under five million.
In 1880 the product of wheat in England
and Scotland was estimated at 100, 000,0 900
bushels.
In 1880 the area of wheat growing in
the United States was 80, 430, 1873 acres
and the yield was 459 ,483, 1877 bushels,
or 13 bushels to the acre The value Of
the crop was estimated at 1882, 457 ,293.
The increase in production between 1870
and 1880 was nearly sixty per cent.