The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-07-13
What Is Cheat.

MEssRs. EDITOR l noticed a,
article is your last issue, headed above
and your request ITO hear from some O
our farmers on the question:. l am no
a farmer now, but was one for the spaot
| OF forty-five years, and will freely Civ,
your readers my views long enter
tanned on the above subject. Cheat O,
chess is thenoffspr,ng of imperfect whea,
or oats and other small grain, 1 think
not possessing vitality sufficient te
produce its own species-caused eithe,
BY the grain being imperfect when sown
or becoming 30 by the soil remaining
wet for long time after sown, as seen
more plentifuly in wet spots in the field
"r the stalk may be so injured some
time after sowing, by freezes, as was
the case in tho fall sowing last winter,
sspping its vigor to the extent that it
failed to produce its own species. We
all knoY that the fall soying Of oats has
changed to cheat the present year which
is proof sufficient Of my views of it. I
learn there is NO cheat in the spring
sowing: My attention was called to a
field Of wheat in l845 in Newberry
County, by friend who was a practical
planter for many years, which had much
cheat in it. He asked me If knew the
'g'n Of cheat. gave my views as
above stated, and he corroborated them
by saying that he and his brother sowcd
wheat in adjoining fields, of the same
variety and same soil, his brother SOW
ing two weeks before he did; much
rain fell on his brothers. wheat i'm
mediately after sowing. but none on his
until after it had made its appearance
above ground. The result waa that his
brothers wheat was much infested
with cheat whereas his was exempt
from it. He then asked if ! had not
noticed move cheat in fields in low and
wet spots then elsewhere. answered
in the affirmative.
AS there are several varieties Of chess
or cheat two Of which noticed yester-
day, one that lunches, not unlike oats.
the other having its grains adhering to
the stalk which is found in wheat the
other in oats. became more convinced
OF the theory 1 have advanced As to
their origin. Any grain or seed unless
= water plant belongs to it will lose much
OF it's vitality in wet ground while
terminating. This is scan in most plants
when just above ground, or before = wet
spell Of weather. No doubt all farmers
and gardeners have noticed the weak
ness or want Of vitality in plants, and
want OF green color, that appear above
ground after much wet or cold weather.
doubt not that some vsrietios of chess
or cheat take their origin from the same
species. Be this as it may, but that
does not prevent wheat or oats under
the circumstances changing to cheat.
III am in error should be pleased
TO be corrected in your next issue by
some one whose experience has led
them to different coaclusion.-W. E
IN Wsnnsboro Ne,os and Herald.
r. SIN cotroborstion of my theory
as to the origin Of chest it is . vii,
known fact that ell our fruits and
escuienb have undergone radical
change since they were first know. n
recoilect when there was but one |
variety Of Irish potato, and only two oil
sweet and they the poorest esculents n
ever eat. So also with garden veget.. |
oies. When boy Inever was but three
varieties OF beans or cabbage and one Of |
turnip. What Changes in variety and |
naYor have 81 nee occurred no one bnt
tne aged knows. The same theory viii
aIso apply to most OF MI Of the sn;msi
g We'll ny vegetable Kingdom. w. D..