266 SMALL GRAIN CROPS 



increasing by leaps and bounds. The reason for this lies 

 in the fact that the wheat grains drop from the heads and 

 are lost unless harvested within a week or two after ripen- 

 ing. The number of acres to sow depends largely on the 

 ability of the laborers to harvest the crop. The reaper 

 has multiplied this ability many fold, and so has made 

 possible a vast increase in wheat acreage. One man with 



THRESHING WHEAT. 



a reaper is able to harvest as much grain as many men by 

 the older methods. See Appendix A, Chart I, page 467. 



Wheat is a human food, not a stock food. Not that it 

 is not good for the stock ; but man has learned to 

 esteem it too highly to leave any of it to lower animals. 

 Bread made from rye, barley, or millet differs very 

 little in nourishing qualities from that made from wheat ; 

 but wheat bread is whiter in color, more nutritious and 

 more attractive. 



It is interesting to know that farmers are harvesting 

 wheat somewhere during every month of the year. The 

 list below names a harvesting country for each month : 



