CEREAL ADAPTATION AND ASSOCIATION 287 



also are usually short but compact. Nearly all varieties 

 are early. The region is generally humid, and conse- 

 quently no varieties possess any considerable drought- 

 resistance. Through earliness, some varieties from this 

 region, on introduction into the United States, are able to 

 escape severe attacks of rust. Barley varieties are of both 

 the two-row and six-row groups. There are a number 

 of club varieties of wheat, some of which are bearded. 

 Cereals have been grown in China from the most ancient 

 times, but even at present there is little information as 

 to the quantity produced. 



302. The Siberian-Manchurian region. In this re- 

 gion are included the divisions of Yeniseisk, Irkutsk, 

 Yakutsk, Transbaikal, Amur, and Primorsk, in Siberia, 

 and the larger portion of Manchuria. It is an extremely 

 large region, and yet little developed. Little or no 

 winter grain is grown. In Transbaikal, spring rye, called 

 yaritsa, is the most important cereal, and forms the chief 

 food of the people. Oats and wheat also are grown to the 

 extent of 25 per cent to 40 per cent of the cultivated area. 

 Rye is grown in Kamchatka, and all small grains in the 

 rugged island of Sakhalin. In Manchuria are very large 

 districts admirably adapted for cereal crops. Many 

 modern mills have been erected. Its present annual 

 wheat production is about 10 million bushels, while it is 

 estimated that 300 million bushels could be produced. 

 In the vicinity of Yakutsk, the Scoptsi people have grown 

 small cereals for some time, using American machinery. 

 Rice is grown in Manchuria without irrigation. 



303. Russian and Chinese Turkestan. In this region, 

 which includes the fertile districts of the Tarim River, in 

 the Chinese portion, explored by Sven Hedin, and the 

 Amu (ancient Oxus) River in the Russian portion, are found 



