io8 



Nature-Study Agriculture 



The 



Varieties; 



when 



planted 



U. S. D. A. 



FIG. 85. Root distribution of corn at silking time. The bottom of the board 

 represents the surface of the soil. The cultivator should have many small 

 shovels like those indicated at the right of the picture, rather than a few large 

 shovels like the one shown cutting a root at the left. 



Wheat. 1 Throughout the world, wheat is more gen- 

 erally raised than any other cereal. It does well in any 

 temperate climate and stands drought fairly well. The 

 United States ranks first in its production, and it is 

 one of our chief exports. Russia produces nearly as 

 much as we do. Our average per acre is only about 

 fourteen bushels, while in parts of Europe where the 

 farms are small and very carefully tilled the average is 

 more than twice what it is here. 



There are a number of varieties of wheat, but they 

 may all be grouped under two headings, (a) winter 

 wheat, (b) spring wheat. The former is planted in 



1 The coin with head of wheat, shown on the copy right "page of this 

 book, was struck by a Greek city in southern Italy more than 2400 

 years ago. 



