THE PRODUCTION OF WHEAT 17 



Note on the Reasons for Discussing Wheat Production Abroad. 



The discussion of the geographical distribution of wheat 

 areas is of considerable importance in any work on the wheat 

 industry, and more especially in the case of this particular 

 essay, where the possibilities and probabilities of New Zealand 

 in this direction are under consideration. For general purposes 

 it is imperative to know what are likely to be the probable 

 supplies available from month to month in any given market, 

 and it is at once obvious that this can be gained only by 

 considering how widely wheat producing areas are distributed 

 over the world. For the particular purpose of the present work 

 the comprehension of many important problems will depend 

 very largely on the complete understanding of our Dominion's 

 relationships with the great wheat producing areas of the world, 

 and many references will be made throughout to this branch 

 of the work, and conclusions of profound importance drawn 

 from it. 



2. Description and Explanation of Areas. 



For purposes of comparison a brief survey of the 

 conditions prevailing in some of the great wheat- 

 producing areas is relevant to the discussion. These 

 conditions vary greatly in exporting countries, but the 

 importing countries may be considered as a whole, as 

 they represent a well defined area in Western Europe. 



(a) Exporting Countries. We shall consider the 

 United States of America first, not because it occupies 

 the premier position as a wheat producer, but on account 

 of the fact that it is the most perfect in its organisation, 

 and consequently serves, to some extent, as a standard 

 for comparison. 



The natural conditions in the United States of America 

 are suitable for wheat culture. Vast expanses of natural 

 prairie have been gradually broken up, and the fertility 

 of the soil ranks among the best in the world. In the 

 two great wheat producing areas noted above, the climate 

 is continental, being sufficiently warm in summer to 

 foster the growth of most cereals. For the Central States 

 an average temperature of 72 for the summer and from 

 35 to 45 for the winter is experienced. The rainfall 



