THE PRODUCTION OF WHEAT 17 
Note on the Reasons for Discussing Wheat Production Abroad. 
The discussion of the geographical distribution of wheat 
areas is of considerable importance in any work on the wheat 
industry, and more especially in the case of this particular 
essay, where the possibilities and probabilities of New Zealand 
in this direction are under consideration. For general purposes 
it is imperative to know what are likely to be the probable 
supplies available from month to month in any given market, 
and it is at once obvious that this can be gained only by 
considering how widely wheat producing areas are distributed 
over the world. For the particular purpose of the present work 
the comprehension of many important problems will depend 
very largely on the complete understanding of our Dominion’s 
relationships with the great wheat producing areas of the world, 
and many references will be made throughout to this branch 
of the work, and conclusions of profound importance drawn 
from it. 
2. Description and Explanation of Areas. 
For purposes of comparison a brief survey of the 
conditions prevailing in some of the great wheat- 
producing areas is relevant to the discussion. These 
conditions vary greatly in exporting countries, but the 
importing countries may be considered as a whole, as 
they represent a well defined area in Western Europe. 
(a) Exporting Countries.— We shall consider the 
United States of America first, not because it occupies 
the premier position as a wheat producer, but on account 
of the fact that it is the most perfect in its organisation, 
and consequently serves, to some extent, as a standard 
for comparison. 
The natural conditions in the United States of America 
are suitable for wheat culture. Vast expanses of natural 
prairie have been gradually broken up, and the fertility 
of the soil ranks among the best in the world. In the 
two great wheat producing areas noted above, the climate 
is continental, being sufficiently warm in summer to 
foster the growth of most cereals. For the Central States 
an average temperature of 72° for the summer and from 
85° to 45° for the winter is experienced. The rainfall 
