The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-03-02
OLD wHEATS DISPLAYED.
Exhibit Of Products 10000 Years Old
Made.

Chicago, March 2-Wheats which ar,
known to have been used by print
tive man 10000 to $4,000 years ag'
and which are stiIl cultivated in Ger
tain parts Of the world, form part o.
| the new exhibit OF cultivated wheatI
which has recently been added to th'
economic collections Of Field Museum
of Natural History here.
Modern cultivated wheats from va
rious parts of the world complete the
exhibit. Most Of the wheats have beer
| acquired through the cooperation Of
the office of cereal investigation 81
the department of agriculture. This
department is constantly engaged in
growing new and old varieties Of
wheat in order to determine their
suitability under various conditions in
the United States.
Wheat was first introduced into this
country in 1920 by the Spaniards and
later into New England and Virgin
ia by the early settlers, according to
Director ID. G. Davis, of the museum.
an Europe and Asia it has been
grown since prehistoric times" Mr.. Da-
Wis states. ''The beginning of its cul-
tiyation belongs to an early period in
the history of the human race.
Z Mankind has probably always used
the seeds of the wild grass for food.
Some Of these furnish very fsir-sized
grains and from such our cultivated
cereals are unquestionably derived,
though botanists cannot now always
trace them to their wild prototypes. An
example of such is the wild Emmer Of
Palestine, larger grained wild grass
which has been claimed by some TO be
the ancestor of our cultivated wheats
of to-day.
Certain primitive wheats are still
grown in places in southern Europe.
Such are the Einkorn. Emmer and
Spelt, each Of which probably repre-
sents a group of wheats of separate
origin. The Einkorn still grows wild
in Siberia and elsewhere in the south
of Europe. Spelt is the oldest of the
cultivated wheats, Ii was probably
the wheat OF ancient Greece, Rome and
Egypt.
Together with these simple forms
there are TO be seen such. unusual
forms as Polish wheat, which in spite
of its name does not come from Po
land, but from the mountainous re-
gions Of Spain; Alaska wheat which
Is OF the type known as the Miracle
wheat or "Seven headed wheat of
Egypt; and Club wheat grown in
Chile and in our Rocky mountains.
The Durum wheat from Russia,
which furnishes -four for macaroni and
pastes looks much like long bristle
barley The small bristly Turkey
wheat has become one OF the leading
hard winter wheats of the United
States. Wilhelm, north European
soft wheat may be seen together with
the chief American types. The hard
spring wheats OF the northwestern
great plains region Of the United |
States and Canada are represented by |
Marquis, Red Fife, and Whichever va
rieties. Particularly remarkable is a
huge cared wheat called Dicklow, |
grown under irrigation in Idaho.
Adjoining the wheats at the mu-
.eum may be seen some OF the main
Kinds Of barley. Ordinarily the most /
1ristly Of the grains among these is
! perfectly bald variety, which is
yrown for hay and may survive, as
! fodder, long after cultivation OF the
,thers becomes obsolete with the ces-
alton Of Matchmaking.
There has also been added an in
eresting case OF wild grasses, rang
ng from Alaska and Canadian fodder
grasses TO the Silver Pampas grass of
south America and Natal grass. This
south African grass now helps 20 i'm
art a roseaie hue to the plains Of
he sandy peninsula Of Florida"