WHEAT 121 



million bushels, Minnesota, 56 million bushels, Nebraska, 

 45 miUion bushels, and Washington, 44 million bushels. 

 About one-half of the wheat produced in the United States 

 is spring wheat. 



107. Yield per acre. — The average annual yield per 

 acre of wheat in the United States for the ten years 1903-12 

 was 14.1 bushels. During the same time, Germany's 

 acre yield was 30.1 bushels, England's, 32, that of France, 

 21, and Russia's, 9.7 bushels. It is interesting to note that 

 the two largest wheat-producing countries of the world 

 obtain the lowest acre yield, and it is interesting also to 

 speculate as to how long it will be, if the time ever does 

 come, before these two countries, with their extensive acre- 

 age, will be able to bring their yield per acre up to Ger- 

 many's present standard. At the present time the yearly 

 world's production is none too great for the needs of its 

 bread-eating nations, and yet the population of these 

 nations is increasing steadily. Since almost all of the 

 available wheat lands of the world, with the exception of a 

 few countries, are now under cultivation, it would seem that 

 the only means by which this increased population may be 

 supplied with bread is in making our present wheat fields 

 produce more abundantly. 



108. The world's supply and demand. — The success 

 or failure of the wheat crop has a more powerful influence 

 upon the world at large than has the success or failure of 

 any other field crop. From the time the farmer sows the 

 seed until the crop is received by the miller, the bread- 

 eating world anxiously watches the crop, receiving with 

 thanksgiving news of a bountiful harvest. Unfavorable 

 conditions of weather for its growth or harvest in any 

 considerable area at once becomes news of international 

 interest. The reason for this unusual interest held by the 



