112 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPLRIMEXT STATION, I903. 



all been proved to have their influence. Since, however, the 

 figures of Richardson represent a large number of analyses it 

 must be admitted that the predominating influences are climatic. 

 These conclusions are not in thorough accord with those of 

 Wiley"^ w^ho asserts that "the broad principle has been estab- 

 lished that, other things being equal, wheats from a high north- 

 ern latitude contain more gluten than those grown farther south 

 and the wheats that are grown in the spring a larger quantity 

 of gluten than those which are planted in the autumn." 

 Brewerf states that the quality of wheat is largely determined 

 by climate, the grain of a sunny climate, like that of California, 

 Egypt, northern Africa, and similar countries always ranking 

 high for quality. He finds no proof, however, for the frequent 

 assertion that such wheats are richer in gluten and consequently 

 make stronger flours. Chemical composition depends more 

 upon the variety cultivated than upon soil or climate, although 

 the influence of the two latter is by no means to be overlooked. 

 "]\Iany years ago Davy found the wheat of Sicily richer in gluten 

 than that of England, and this appears to have led to a hasty 

 generalization that the wheat of warm climates was stronger 

 than that of cooler ones. It has been claimed that the wheat of 

 northern Africa was stronger, that is, contained more gluten, 

 than that of northern Europe. So far as our analyses of Ameri- 

 can wheat show, this has not proved to be the case here. 

 Undoubtedly climate as well as soil aft'ect the amount of albu- 

 minoids, but we have no evidence that California wheats are, as 

 a class, richer than those of the other regions, or the wheats of 

 the southern states richer than those of the northern." X 



\Yq flnd, then, quite a marked difference of opinion regarding 

 the relations between quality of wheat and climate. This con- 

 fusion is not so surprising when we consider how many factors 

 enter into the problem. It is manifestly unfair to compare wheat 

 from different localities when the varieties grown are not the 

 same. Thus, wheats of the varieties, French Imperial and New 

 York Spring wheat, grown upon the farm of the Oregon Agri- 

 cultural College in the same season, 1889, were found to contain 

 respectively 1.35 and 2.21 per cent nitrogen; that is one con- 



* U. S. Department of Agriculture, Yearbook 1899, p. 244. 



t Tenth Census U. S., 1880, Vol. Ill, Cereal Production of tlie U. S., p. 64. 



t Brewer. Tenth Census of the U. S., 1880, Vol. Ill, Cereal Production U. S., p. 68. 



