CHAPTER II 
WHEAT 
Wheat is a staple in universal demand. It is, in many re 
spects, the most important of all the food commodities. The 
American corn crop is greater both in quantity and in farm- 
value; but the larger part of the corn crop is fed to stock on the 
farms, while most of the wheat crop is either marketed in the 
grain or ground into flour. No other foodstuff is marketed 
directly in such volume. The Cotton Belt and the populous North 
Atlantic section are dependent upon the Mid-west for most of 
their wheat and wheat flour. And in addition, a substantial por 
tion of the crop is demanded by foreign importers. It is com 
monly said that the basic price of wheat is determined at Liver 
pool, at the center of the import trade. 
CLASSES OF WHEAT 
Differences in the variety of wheat determine to a large extent 
its use and its marketing movement. Two distinctions are of con 
trolling importance: (i) Certain varieties are known as hard 
wheat and others as soft wheat. Hard wheat is high in gluten 
content and the flour which is produces is wanted primarily for 
making yeast-breads, because it is stronger and more elastic when 
raised. Soft wheat, on the other hand, is comparatively high in 
starch content, and is used primarily for baking-powder breads, 
crackers, and cakes. Pastry flour is ground mostly from soft 
wheat. (2) Wheat planted in the fall and harvested largely in 
the summer is known as winter wheat. Wheat planted in the 
spring and harvested largely in the fall is known asi spring wheat. 
Spring wheat is predominantly of hard varieties. Winter wheat, 
however, includes both hard and soft varieties, although the hard 
winter wheat area is almost entirely west of the Mississippi River. 
These distinctions between hard and soft wheats, and between 
winter and spring varieties, together with variations in color and 
i9