DISCUSSION OF PLANT INDUSTRIES 457 



and therefore a more profitable crop. Sweet corn contains 

 more sugar in the grain than other kinds, particularly when 

 in the milk stage. It is much grown on the farm for home 

 use, and by market gardeners on a far larger scale to supply 

 canning establishments. 



419. Wheat. Wheat is the most highly prized of the cereals, 

 and has been cultivated for some thousands of years through- 

 out large parts of the region extending from China to southern 

 and western Europe. Most people prefer wheat preparations 

 to those from other cereals. Wheat flour, containing a large 

 percentage of the sticky protein material known as gluten, is 

 particularly well adapted for bread-making. 



There are two well-known classes of wheats, based on the 

 time of sowing ; spring wheat, which is planted in the spring 

 as soon as the ground is dry and warm enough for tillage; 

 and winter wheat, which is planted in the autumn, grows but 

 little before winter, finishes its growth in the following spring, 

 and is harvested in the summer. Both winter and spring 

 wheats include hard and soft varieties, the former containing 

 much gluten and the latter less gluten but more starch. The 

 hardest of all are the macaroni wheats, which have a very 

 high food value but are not usually considered well adapted 

 for bread-making unless mixed with softer wheats. 



Wheat can be grown in a cooler climate and with less sum- 

 mer rainfall than is needed for corn. For semi-arid regions, 

 such as a large area in Texas and portions of Oklahoma and 

 Colorado, the macaroni or durum wheats are extremely well 

 adapted. Wheat will grow well on a more clayey soil than is 

 best for corn, and in general throughout the corn belt the 

 wheat crop takes a secondary place, often being planted on 

 land that for some reason is not wanted for corn growing. 1 



420. Other cereals. Oats, rye, and barley may all be grown 

 in cooler and moister climates than are suited for corn and 

 wheat. They are therefore much cultivated in northern Europe. 



1 On varieties of wheat and wheat culture see Bulletin 24, Division of 

 Vegetable Physiology and Pathology, U. S. Dept. Agr., 1900. 



