INDUSTRIAL REVIEW 203 



threshing in large wheat areas is now done by 

 steam or gas power. 



The Development of the Wheat Industry. - The 

 extensive fields of the New World served as the 

 direct incentives for the invention of wheat- 

 producing machinery. Population was small ; 

 labor, scarce ; and opportunities for production 

 were great. Mechanical means for assisting 

 human labor were necessary and so inventive 

 genius responded. Modern machinery is the re- 

 sult. In other new fields machinery likewise 

 made production profitable, so that the wheat- 

 raising industry led to rapid settlement of Australia 

 and Argentina. The Old World found that machin- 

 ery could do much to increase the amount of 

 production and lower the cost. Thus modern 

 methods are characteristic of every great wheat 

 country. These methods must of course vary 

 with local conditions. 



It is interesting in this respect to learn how the 

 different nations take their places in the produc- 

 tion and utilization of the world's wheat crop. 



QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES 



1. Suggest reasons why the Chinese regard wheat as 

 a direct gift from Heaven. 



2. How do the legends of the origin of wheat show 

 similarity in recognizing its qualities ? 



3. Account for the fact that wheat was one of the first 



