THE PRODUCTION OF WHEAT 15 



for the culture of wheat. Of these areas the most 

 important one is that of Siberia. Unfortunately, this 

 country contains no immediate facilities for greater 

 production at present, but expansion has been going on 

 steadily, and, as the greater part of the soil is still in 

 a virgin state, the progress of higher civilisation will 

 soon more than double the output. 



It will be seen that the producing area in the Old 

 World cannot be defined within any precise limits, but 

 is distributed evenly over the whole with the exception 

 of Central Asia. 



The second great area in the Northern Hemisphere 

 is situated within more or less indefinite limits. The 

 United States is well suited throughout for wheat pro- 

 duction, and it is only in those States where a more 

 lucrative pursuit is forthcoming that the annual output 

 is small. While production is more or less general, two 

 well defined areas are discernible at present: 



(1) One situated in the North Eastern States, 

 extending about 800 miles inland, and south 

 from the Great Lakes about 500 miles. 



(2) One situated in the Central States, comprising 

 a large oblong-shaped tract of land about 300 

 miles in width and 1000 miles in length. 



Canada is the most advantageously situated country 

 in the world for immediately increasing her output ; for 

 the wheat producing area is centred around the Great 

 Lakes, only about 5 per cent, of the land available 

 for wheat being used at present. The provinces of 

 Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba, comprising some 

 150,000,000 acres, are the best lands, and adequate trans- 

 portation facilities are all that are necessary for full use 

 being made of this land. 



(b) The Southern Hemisphere. Two great producing 

 areas are found in this sphere, but the magnitude of 

 their production is not fully realised in the Old World 

 on account of their somewhat isolated position, combined 

 with inadequate facilities for the economic production 

 and distribution of wheat. 



Argentina is admirably suited for wheat culture on 



