NATURAL ENVIRONMENT 49 



year to year in any locality, and it is well known that this 

 causes corresponding variations in wheat, even under similar 

 soil conditions. In the gluten content is seen the first re- 

 flection of a change in environment. The claim has even been 

 made that a number of varieties of wheat grown under uni- 

 form soil and meteorological conditions would yield relatively 

 the same percentages of gluten, however much these might vary 

 from the normal. 1 



Northern grown seed of spring wheats will mature plants 

 earlier than southern-grown seed of the same variety, but the 

 reverse is true of fall-sown grain, which ripens earlier from 

 southern-grown seed. 2 Wheat raised on the sea coast develops 

 special characteristics due, at least in part, to climate. In 

 southern Russia Arnautka wheat attains its highest perfection 

 only when grown within a limited area bordering the Azov sea. 

 All wheat raised directly on the Pacific coast in western United 

 States is soft, damp, dark and has a very thick skin. It shades 

 off gradually to that grown inside of the coast range and pro- 

 tected from the fogs. This inland grain is bright, very hard 

 and dry, and has a thin skin. 



Regions having cold winters produce most of the world's 

 wheat. Marked exceptions to this are California, Egypt and 

 India. Small, hard, red grains having a high nitrogen content 

 are usually found in a climate characterized by extremes of 

 temperature and moisture. Climate and season both affect the 

 length of the period of growth. This has an important in- 

 fluence on the chemical composition of wheat, for a short sea- 

 son of growth raises the percentage of protein and lowers that 

 of starch. In Canada, a shorter period of time is required for 

 maturity in northern latitudes. The growing season of Winni- 

 peg is about one week longer than that prevailing 500 miles 

 farther north. 



It has been said that "other things being equal, varieties 

 which have become acclimated are to be pref erred. " While 

 this is true, it still leaves us the case where other things are 

 not equal. Nearly every climate has its disadvantages for 

 wheat growth, and, as we have seen, wheat always adapts itself 

 to overcome these disadvantages. The greater they are, the 



1 O. Bui 129, p. 5. 



2 Yearbook U. S. Dept Agr., 1901, p. 235; S. C. Bui. 56, p. 12. 



