WHEAT IN ASIA 299 



Hindus would have difficulty in learning to oper- 

 ate complicated machinery. Slow progress is at 

 best all that can be expected. 



The Production of Wheat in this Region. - The 

 total production of wheat in 1913 was reported to 

 be 358,314,000 bushels. This is about typical of 

 normal conditions. The average yield varies from 

 12 to 15 bushels per acre, though of course much 

 higher yields occur in many places. Because of 

 the small capital invested and the cheapness of 

 labor, the cost of production is very low. This 

 cheapness of labor may be in part explained by 

 the fact that standards of living are not nearly so 

 high among Indian wheat raisers as among those 

 of North America. 



The Marketing of the Wheat. - - Because of the 

 hordes of moths and weevils which attack it dur- 

 ing the hot season, wheat in India deteriorates 

 rapidly. For this reason it must be marketed as 

 soon as possible after it is threshed. In the rush 

 following harvest, transportation facilities are 

 severely taxed. There are no elevators to care 

 for the grain ; and railway service is inadequate. 

 In some parts of the country the wheat is delivered 

 to the railway towns by bullock wagons or by 

 human carriers. In other cases where streams are 

 available, it is delivered to river and canal ports 

 by small boats. From these receiving stations it is 

 then carried either by rail or by boat to the larger 



