During a political year, such as the one through which we are now passing, we are bound to hear references to the roots from which we sprung — and how far we have moved away from them. Despite the chatter, we almost never hear what those roots really were.

Our primitive ancestors must surely have been nomadic hunter-gatherers who lived by following certain animal herds, supplementing a meat diet with plant materials that were found along the migration routes.

Indeed, this lifestyle is still prevalent in a few parts of our “modern” world, even though agriculture and related industrialized activities — fishing, for example — now support nearly all of the world’s billions of people. But think how few are actually engaged in these pursuits today.

Since so few folks are now involved in the production of our sustenance, it must mean that fewer than ever of them have any understanding of what goes into that production. The visible mechanics of it must be mystery enough for the majority of our population.

In our area, for example, we all see a lot of machinery running around. Some of us have a basic idea of what the machines are doing. But how many of us could say with certainty what we should expect to come out of a combine, for example? Or where? Or why? And “how” must surely remain a mystery!

A very high percentage of us have lost that ability. Yet, maybe we can be forgiven our lack of understanding of modern mechanics. That sort of business can be complicated. And we’re not trained to operate or maintain machinery.

So why was that big machine out in the field in the first place? In our area at this season, it was almost certainly out there harvesting one or more “small grains.” These are the rye, barley, oats or wheat that are used to feed our livestock or to provide us with bread and breakfast cereals.

In season, the same machine will be used to harvest soybeans and corn for similar reasons. All of these, except the soybeans, are grasses. And I’m telling you this with malice aforethought, for there is a connection with something bad that happens just about now.

This is hay fever season. Wind borne pollen is a hay fever irritant at this season, specifically that from ragweeds.

There are a number of other plant groups that produce wind-borne pollen, too. All of our grasses that I know about do exactly that. Pollination of grasses begins in the spring and continues throughout the summer. One species of grass that produces a lot of pollen is corn. Other grasses of all sorts also do their share. Despite the likelihood that there is some grass pollen in the air all summer, I don’t know of even one species that is a hay fever irritant.

Even if there did happen to be a grass or two that proved to be irritating, I think that I would prefer the irritant to the other possibility. Can you imagine how many insects we’d have to put up with if grasses had the need for insect pollination?

I can assure you that life would be much more interesting under such conditions along the trail.