Page:Wheat by Dahlgren, B. E..djvu/14

6 perennials while the cultivated cereals are, on the whole, annuals. The ideal climate for wheat is one with a mild winter, a cool and moist spring conducive to abundant development of the vegetative part of the plant, followed by a warm, dry summer for rapid ripening of the grain. Wheats which in their proper latitudes withstand the low temperature of winter without injury are known as winter wheats. True winter wheats are "winter annuals" only and will not ripen seed when sown in the spring. They are sown in the fall, and germinate and form roots before the onset of cold weather. Starting in the spring with a partly developed root system they make a vigorous, early growth. They ordinarily show a higher yield, are more likely to escape rust, and mature their grain earlier than the spring sown wheats. The spring wheats are more tender varieties that complete their growth in one season and in spite of a later start mature their grains. In northern latitudes only spring wheats can be grown. In mild climates both spring and winter wheats may be grown from fall sowing. As a rule the hard winter wheats are more resistant to cold than are the soft, but all wheats naturally belong to somewhat more moderate climates than their northerly relative rye.

Hard and soft wheats differ in the composition of the grain. The soft wheats are richer in starch and are likely to have large grains, while the hard, with smaller grains, are relatively richer in gluten. Flour made from soft wheat is esteemed for cake and pastry making, but by itself is "weak" and out of a given quantity does not make a large loaf. Hard wheats make a "strong" flour which, on account of the binding properties of gluten, retains the gas produced by the yeast and make a light loaf. They are now generally mixed in different proportions for various purposes.