WHEAT IN EUROPE 315 



the harvest season comes in the latter part of 

 June and early July. 



The total production is nearly 50,000,000 bushels 

 annually, of which about one-third is exported. 

 Much of this wheat is shipped by way of the Black 

 Sea and the Bosphorus to Greece and Italy. 

 Some of it goes to the countries of western Europe. 



The Serbian Wheat Fields. - The climate of 

 Serbia favors wheat. The winters are moderate, 

 the spring season is moist and cool, and the summer 

 is quite warm and dry. Only about one third of 

 the country, however, has land suitable for farm- 

 ing. 



Almost every peasant cultivates his own field, 

 which consists usually of from 10 to 30 acres. 

 Because of the primitive methods of farming, 

 modern machinery is seldom used. Women are 

 taught that tilling the soil is as truly their work 

 as is housekeeping. The poorer kinds of wheat, 

 especially spelt and emmer, are the types grown. 

 Russian wheats, which are so well adapted to 

 Serbian conditions, have been slow to find favor. 



In spite of their crude methods the Serbians 

 usually export from three to four million bushels 

 every year. Since the events of the Balkan War 

 demonstrated to all these countries the advantage 

 of improved methods, not only in war but in in- 

 dustry, it is probable that development will be 

 more rapid. Lack of transportation facilities is 



