WHEAT 137 



maturing varieties of wheat which have been 

 bred and adapted to the climate and soil. The 

 injurious effects of drouth may be largely pre- 

 vented by clean summer fallowing and by prac- 

 ticing scientific methods of culture adapted to dry 

 farming. Irrigation is practiced to some extent 

 in Alberta, and limited areas may be irrigated 

 in other provinces, but crops are largely grown 

 by dry farming methods and this will continue 

 since it will never be possible to irrigate any large 

 part of the tillable lands of this vast region. 



The Canadian west from the 100th meridian 

 to the mountains is a " dry " country. The rainfall 

 is variable, ranging from 9 to 30 inches for differ- 

 ent years and different sections of the country. 

 According to Stupart the total annual precipita- 

 tion for Saskatchewan and Alberta averages less 

 than fourteen inches and 17.34 inches is given as 

 the average annual rainfall of Manitoba. 



Other rainfall data is given as follows: Annual 

 at Edmonton (13 years) 18.44 inches; at Regina, 

 (7 years) 14.77 inches; at Prince Albert, 17.95 

 inches. Prince Albert, in Latitude 53-10' is the 

 farthest north point in the Saskatchewan valley 

 where wheat is grown to any extent. The average 

 annual rainfall at each of the several government 

 experimental farms for four years, 1908-1911 is 

 computed as follows: 



Inches 



Brandon, S. Manitoba 17.62 



Indian Head, S. Saskatchewan 18.63 



Lethbridge, S. Alberta 13.55 



Lacombe, C. Alberta 16.70 



The total average rainfall for the six growing 



