WHEAT 



197 



'ffi 



latitude, and is still pushing its northern limit farther and 

 farther north. This, in effect, adds a new food grain to a 

 large part of the world. 



141. Tomatoes, only a 

 few generations ago, 

 were known as "love- 

 apples " and were grown 

 only as curiosities. The 

 fruit was unfit to eat : 

 it was tasteless, small, 

 and full of bitter seeds. 

 By cross-pollination and 

 selection, however, the 

 fruit has been increased 

 in size, given a finer 

 texture, flavor, and color, 

 and made to mature 

 early or late, so as to 

 supply the market 

 through a long season. 



142. Wheat has been 

 improved in the last 

 twenty-five years more 

 than during the previous 

 four thousand. Many 

 new varieties of wheat 



have been produced by scientific breeding. These new 

 varieties, compared with the old ones, have a greater 

 power to resist rust and drought, produce a larger 

 yield per acre, and contain a higher per cent of gluten 

 or protein. No one variety combines all these advan- 

 tages, to be sure ; but each improved variety is suited to 

 some locality or to some demand of the market. And 

 scientists are trying to improve wheat still more. 



TOMATOES. 



