76 THE SMALL GRAINS 



Such improvements are after all but fairly begun, and 

 there is yet great demand for hard-kerneled sorts and 

 varieties that will resist the winters of northern Iowa and 

 Nebraska, and southern South Dakota. As the wheat 

 area extends farther westward, there is also still need for 

 drought-resistant sorts. In fact, in this and the district 

 next described, there is the most exacting demand of the 

 entire country for hardy -winter varieties. The extreme 

 severity of the drought and winter cold combined forms 

 a greater obstacle to winter wheat culture than exists in 

 any other district. 



Early maturity is of importance in this district in order 

 to allow an escape from the worst effects of the drought 

 in the western portion and from rust in the eastern portion. 



1. Principal varieties now grown : 



Currell Prolific Malakov 



Early Java Turkey 



Fultz Velvet Bluestem 



Haynes Bluestem Zimmerman 



Harvest Queen 



Kharkov 



2. Needs of the district : 



Early maturity Hardier winter varieties 



Drought-resistance 



68. Southern Plains wheat district. Chiefly central 

 and west Texas is included in this district, but also a 

 small portion of Oklahoma and southeastern New Mexico. 

 The climatic conditions are much more severe than would 

 be expected from the geographic position. Much of the 

 area is beyond the 98th meridian, where there is much 

 drought, but which is made all the more severe by the 

 great evaporation. In the north central portion the well 

 known " black waxy " soil is so heavy and stiff that it 



