What do you think?
Rate this book
The Story Of A Grain Of Wheat
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
202 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2013
1 person is currently reading
1 person want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 2, 2015
Rather than presume to review a classic work such as this published in 1903 and released again in 1915 under the imprimatur of "The Library of Knowledge", I shall let the work speak for itself.
"The story of a grain of wheat tells the story of man's long continuous struggle for plenty; the response of nature to her children asking for food; the emergence of mankind from savagery, when regardless of anything save the pangs of hunger, the first miller plucked the berry from the stalk and, using his teeth for mill-stones, ground grist for a customer who would not be denied -- his stomach."(p. 10)
His stomach was his customer! Ha ha!
"Thus the tale of wheat is ever the story of man's achievement with God's help, each chapter marking an upward step in the human progress, and advance in knowledge, science and civilization; finally triumphing in a brotherhood of man wherein the east may be hungry but the west will not let her starve. Interdependent, the nations shall feed each other, and wheat will continue its beautiful mission of peace and good-will; and there will be no more hunger in all the world." (p. 16)
I wipe a tear from my eye as I contemplate the nobility.
"Botanically, wheat belongs to the grass family and is in fact a modified form of grass. Its pedigree shows it to have some rather disreputable near relatives; certain weeds of doubtful reputation and some worthless plants, such as wild rye and wild barley." (p. 17)
To have such disreputable relatives, and not just distant relatives, but near relatives - how embarrassing!
"King Cotton and King Corn have been extolled in song and story, but the glories of good King Wheat, far surpassing those of his fellow monarchs , have not as yet been the theme of the song-maker. Perhaps his subjects have been too busy extending his domains to properly exalt his greatness and beneficence." (p.84)
How long must wheat wait for justice?
"Both the Japanese and the Chinese are ambitious to do their own flour-milling, and thus overcome American competition; but the success of their efforts in this direction is not yet assured. American consuls have peridodical attacks of future Japanese and Chinese flour -mill competition, and frequently dilate on the subject in their reports to the State Department; but the practical American miller, familiar with methods and conditions, is able to see the weak spots in the Asiatic milling proposition, and the spectre of the Chinese miller does not terrify him. Instead, he makes his plans to increase his plant and extend his Asiatic trade further." (p. 104)
Do not dilate excessively - the Asiatic competition can be defeated! Their progress as millers of flour represents not "the story of man's achievement with God's help" but its very opposite. Look, it's complicated.
"It is claimed by the Hungarian millers that the Americans appropriated their methods, and that to the millers of Budapesth belongs the credit of having been the first to adopt the roller process of making flour. The Americans do not claim that the roller-mill was invented by them, nor do they deny that steel rolls were in use in Hungary before they were adopted in the United States. They insist, however, that their system of milling automatically by means of rolls is their own, and that the roller-mill was neither invented nor first used in Budapesth. " (p. 166)
Sure those Hungarians may be right about who "actually invented it" but we did it "automatically" which, as everybody knows, is the main thing that counts in progress. Besides, they are Hungarian and live in place called Budapesth, which sounds totally, you know.
"In 1901 the crop returns of the principal nations of the world placed the producers of wheat in the following order:
1. United States. 2. Russia. 3. France. 4. India. 5. Austro-Hungary. 6. Germany and Italy. 7. Canada. 8. United Kingdom. 9. Australasia. 10. Argentina. 11. Belgium. 12. Holland. 13. Sweden. 14. Denmark.
As already explained, many of these countries do not raise enough to supply their own needs, and are therefore importers of wheat. Viewed from any standpoint, the international contest for the position of purveyor-in-chief to the world's bread-basket is an intensely interesting one." (p. 191)
Yes, intensely interesting.
You sure can learn a lot from a single "Story of a Grain of Wheat."
"The story of a grain of wheat tells the story of man's long continuous struggle for plenty; the response of nature to her children asking for food; the emergence of mankind from savagery, when regardless of anything save the pangs of hunger, the first miller plucked the berry from the stalk and, using his teeth for mill-stones, ground grist for a customer who would not be denied -- his stomach."(p. 10)
His stomach was his customer! Ha ha!
"Thus the tale of wheat is ever the story of man's achievement with God's help, each chapter marking an upward step in the human progress, and advance in knowledge, science and civilization; finally triumphing in a brotherhood of man wherein the east may be hungry but the west will not let her starve. Interdependent, the nations shall feed each other, and wheat will continue its beautiful mission of peace and good-will; and there will be no more hunger in all the world." (p. 16)
I wipe a tear from my eye as I contemplate the nobility.
"Botanically, wheat belongs to the grass family and is in fact a modified form of grass. Its pedigree shows it to have some rather disreputable near relatives; certain weeds of doubtful reputation and some worthless plants, such as wild rye and wild barley." (p. 17)
To have such disreputable relatives, and not just distant relatives, but near relatives - how embarrassing!
"King Cotton and King Corn have been extolled in song and story, but the glories of good King Wheat, far surpassing those of his fellow monarchs , have not as yet been the theme of the song-maker. Perhaps his subjects have been too busy extending his domains to properly exalt his greatness and beneficence." (p.84)
How long must wheat wait for justice?
"Both the Japanese and the Chinese are ambitious to do their own flour-milling, and thus overcome American competition; but the success of their efforts in this direction is not yet assured. American consuls have peridodical attacks of future Japanese and Chinese flour -mill competition, and frequently dilate on the subject in their reports to the State Department; but the practical American miller, familiar with methods and conditions, is able to see the weak spots in the Asiatic milling proposition, and the spectre of the Chinese miller does not terrify him. Instead, he makes his plans to increase his plant and extend his Asiatic trade further." (p. 104)
Do not dilate excessively - the Asiatic competition can be defeated! Their progress as millers of flour represents not "the story of man's achievement with God's help" but its very opposite. Look, it's complicated.
"It is claimed by the Hungarian millers that the Americans appropriated their methods, and that to the millers of Budapesth belongs the credit of having been the first to adopt the roller process of making flour. The Americans do not claim that the roller-mill was invented by them, nor do they deny that steel rolls were in use in Hungary before they were adopted in the United States. They insist, however, that their system of milling automatically by means of rolls is their own, and that the roller-mill was neither invented nor first used in Budapesth. " (p. 166)
Sure those Hungarians may be right about who "actually invented it" but we did it "automatically" which, as everybody knows, is the main thing that counts in progress. Besides, they are Hungarian and live in place called Budapesth, which sounds totally, you know.
"In 1901 the crop returns of the principal nations of the world placed the producers of wheat in the following order:
1. United States. 2. Russia. 3. France. 4. India. 5. Austro-Hungary. 6. Germany and Italy. 7. Canada. 8. United Kingdom. 9. Australasia. 10. Argentina. 11. Belgium. 12. Holland. 13. Sweden. 14. Denmark.
As already explained, many of these countries do not raise enough to supply their own needs, and are therefore importers of wheat. Viewed from any standpoint, the international contest for the position of purveyor-in-chief to the world's bread-basket is an intensely interesting one." (p. 191)
Yes, intensely interesting.
You sure can learn a lot from a single "Story of a Grain of Wheat."
Displaying 1 of 1 review