THE QUALITY. OF WHEAT 73 
foreign wheats, notably Californian, which have their 
last three months of growth in cloudless weather, yet 
remain weak. The best climate appears to be one which 
Schimper calls a ‘‘steppe’’ climate. The winter is very 
severe, too cold in fact for the wheat plant to survive. 
During the spring, showery weather prevails, while the 
temperature rises rapidly, and as the season advances 
both the heat and the dryness become extreme. Thus 
the ‘‘strong’’ wheats are essentially spring wheats. 
Their period of growth is necessarily short, not exceeding 
five months, and sometimes less. It will be seen how 
admirably Canada is suited for the growth of ‘‘strong’’ 
wheat on account of both her ‘‘steppe’’ climate and her 
rich native soil. 
(c) These Factors in New Zealand.—The wheat pro- 
ducing area in New Zealand possesses neither a rich 
black soil nor a ‘‘steppe’’ climate. Hence, it may at once 
be assumed that on the whole the varieties of wheat 
grown are ‘‘soft.’’ That this assumption is warranted 
in practice will be seen from the table appended* 
showing the ‘‘strength’’ and milling products of the 
main varieties produced in the Dominion. 
5. New Zealand Varieties. 
The varieties of wheat most commonly grown in Can- 
terbury may be divided into three main classes, Hunter’s, 
Tuscan, and Pearl. But there are several others grown 
in scattered localities, such as Red King, Bordier, and 
New Era. 
(a) Tuscan.—The introduction of the Tuscan varieties, 
as was pointed out above, caused something in the nature 
of a revolution in wheat production in New Zealand. 
Pearl and Hunter’s were the varieties most commonly 
*See page 77. 
