THE JOURNAL 



OF THE 



MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE 



Vol. XXVII. No. 7. 



OCTOBER, 1920. 



NOTES FOR THE MONTH. 



In view of the assertion often made by farmers that their 



land is not suitable for wheat growing, it is instructive to 



■tttt- v « ,u i- review the climatic and soil conditions 

 Wheat Cultivation: 3 , . , n . , mi 



. under which the crop nourishes, ihe 



Climate, Soils , , 



- w . .. range of climatic conditions is greater than 

 and Varieties. , £ * , , , ->• 



with most other food plants, extending 



from within the tropics to the northern limits of the tem- 

 perate zone. Growth throughout such a wide range of latitude 

 and on such widely different types of soil is, of course, 

 possible, owing to the large number of species and varieties 

 cultivated, and it shows that wheat is a wonderfully hardy 

 and adaptable plant. 



So far as Great Britain is concerned, wheat growing is con- 

 fined mainly to the Southern, Midland and Eastern Counties 

 of England and to the eastern fringe of Scotland, the reason 

 being that these regions are, as a rule, best suited to the 

 wheat commonly grown in this country and to the systems of 

 farming in which wheat occupies a place otherwise difficult to 

 fill. In other regions other cereals are better adapted to the 

 farming systems in vogue or give a better return on outlay. 

 Experience of the war years, however, discloses the fact that 

 wheat may often be successfully grown in the most unexpected 

 places. 



To give the best results wheat requires a fairly high summer 

 temperature and a moderate annual rainfall. It will thrive on 

 almost any soil, even the light " heath " land of Norfolk, 

 provided that tke requisite " condition " is first built up and 

 maintained. Excellent crops may be grown on the heaviest 

 and most intractable of clays if the drainage be adequate and 



(33323) P.6/198. 11,000. 10/20. M. & S. A 



