GROWING GRAIN CROPS IN DRY AREAS 225 



precipitation falls in the winter and early spring. Where 

 the two crops grow about equally well, the greater haz- 

 ard to spring wheat of injury from drought is probably 

 more than offset by the hazard to winter wheat which 

 may result: (1) from germination started but not com- 

 pleted ; (2) from alternate thawing and freezing which 

 in some localities may do harm where the winter precipi- 

 tation is considerable; (3) from drying winter winds 

 accompanied by protracted periods of severe cold. 



In the semi-arid areas hard and semi-hard wheats of 

 both winter and spring varieties are chiefly grown. The 

 growth of the latter, all of which incline to softness and 

 starchiness of varying degrees, is chiefly confined to 

 Inter-mountain, areas. They are being superseded with 

 more or less quickness by the hard wheats, because of 

 the superior milling qualities of the latter. 



The variety of hard winter wheat most in favor is 

 the Turkey Red, south Russian in its origin, and the 

 Kharkow or Kharkov, not greatly dissimilar. The 

 Turkey Red is hardy, yields well, and is of high gluten 

 content. It is now being grown in all the Great Plains 

 country that is not too cold for the successful growth 

 of winter wheat. It is probable that these varieties will 

 yet displace to a very considerable extent the semi-hard 

 wheats of the Inter-mountain states. The principal 

 varieties of the latter are of the Defiance type, but va- 

 rious other varieties are still much grown. In eastern 

 Washington and Idaho the Palouse Blue Stem, the Forty 

 Fold and Red Russian are popular. In eastern Oregon 

 the Red Chaff and Foise are in favor. In California and 

 other southwestern states the Little Club and Defiance 

 are much grown. 



The spring wheats most in favor in the more humid 

 portions of the dry areas are Red Fife and Blue Stem, 

 which are in high favor in the Dakotas and in Manitoba 

 and Saskatchewan. They are of excellent milling quali- 



