4 i 4 THE WHEAT PLANT 



varieties are to be cultivated and under the conditions which allow of the 

 full development of the desired characters. 



Where high grain production is desired, selection of forms possessing 

 a naturally long growing period is essential. Nevertheless, the climatic 

 conditions of the country in which the improved wheats are to be grown 

 must be considered, for, although the long-lived English wheats give 

 excellent yields in this country, they are unable to complete their life- 

 history in India, and are useless there, being easily surpassed in grain 

 production by the rapid-growing short-lived endemic forms. 



On the other hand, Indian varieties are valueless here on account of 

 their short growing period and consequent low yield. 



The breeding of drought-resistant forms is not likely to be successful 

 when prosecuted in a humid climate, nor can rust-resistant varieties be 

 secured or isolated in the absence of rust fungi. 



In all wheat-growing regions the primary object of the cultivator is to 

 obtain the highest financial return from the land, and in the majority of 

 cases this result is only secured by the growth of wheats which give the 

 greatest yield of grain. High yield is, in fact, the ultimate aim of the 

 plant-breeder when he directs his attention towards the production of 

 varieties which are resistant to drought, frost, and diseases. 



So-called " strength " of grain is important, but wheats of the highest 

 quality in this respect invariably give small yields, and the consumer or 

 his agents rarely pay enough for the superior quality to cover the loss due 

 to diminished yield. It usually pays the producer to grow wheat of 

 inferior milling quality, and this has been specifically recognised and 

 adopted as a sound policy by the most successful wheat growers during 

 the last two hundred years in this country. 



Throughout Western Europe wheats of the highest quality have been 

 abandoned as unprofitable, and in other regions where the cost of cultiva- 

 tion is increasing, wheats of high quality and low yield are being replaced 

 by better yielding sorts of inferior quality. 



The growth of wheat of inferior milling quality is sometimes con- 

 demned, but as Cobb has well said : " Farmers do not grow wheat for 

 philanthropic reasons ; they grow it to make money, and it will be a long 

 time before they grow it for any other reason." ..." Give the grower 

 a new wheat that will bring him more money for his outlay, and he will 

 grow it whether the consumers starve on it or grow fat." 



