CULTIVATION AND GROWTH 39 



comes up and henceforth passes through the same 

 stages and meets the same dangers as does the 

 winter wheat. In the spring the farmer wishes for 

 plenty of rain, for this is the growing season. 

 He realizes that several dangers are still to be 

 passed before his crop can be considered safe. 

 Drought and hailstorms are feared. Where irri- 

 gation is practiced the water is applied freely, 

 and the farmer feels that he has overcome the 

 greatest obstacle to success in that region. But, 

 since irrigation is more costly than is natural 

 rainfall, the expense of production is higher. But 

 with favorable weather and moisture either by 

 rain or by irrigation, good growth is assured. The 

 field looks like a well-grassed meadow. The 

 stems are growing rapidly, the wheat is soon ready 

 to 'head out.' This is a critical period, for a 

 year's crop is at stake. Do you wonder that, if 

 it is becoming dry, the farmer looks anxiously 

 for the rain clouds to appear ? He fears the hot 

 winds which may come and literally dry up his 

 wheat in the field. When clouds do appear he 

 watches them intently. Even then the danger 

 is not past. In many sections hailstorms or 

 severe winds may come which will ruin a crop in 

 less than an hour. The farmer visits his field 

 frequently at this time for now it is that the 

 Hessian fly may reappear. He looks in the 

 field for broken straws which indicate the pres- 



