WHEAT IN EUROPE 309 



exporting city in the world. Markets are found in 

 Italy and the countries ofwesternEurope. Wheat 

 is sent by rail to Germany and by way of the 

 Mediterranean to Italy, France, and Spain. 



Russia has thus become one of the chief factors 

 in the production of the world's bread supply ; 

 and the crop in that country, because of its great 

 export relations, is important in determining the 

 price of wheat in every market of the world. 



The Wheat Region of Austria-Hungary. - - Posi- 

 tion, Climate, and Soil. - The greater part of 

 Austria-Hungary lies between the 45th and 5oth 

 parallels. A narrow strip, however, extends south- 

 ward along the Adriatic Sea to latitude 42 north. 



Moderate temperatures prevail, though great 

 differences exist because of the irregularity of the 

 surface, which varies from low-lying plains to high 

 mountains. In general the summers are hot and 

 the winters rather severe. The rainfall ranges 

 from 25 inches per year in the southeastern plains 

 to over 100 inches annually in parts of the Alps. 



The plains of Hungary constitute the most im- 

 portant wheat region. There the land is quite 

 smooth and the soil well adapted to wheat. 



The Culture Methods. - - Both spring and winter 

 wheats are grown, but the latter because of the 

 influence of climate is by far the more important. 



Intensive farming predominates. The rural 

 population is dense and the fields are small. 



