22 



whitp: wheat district. 



This district covers, in a general way, the Pacific Coast region, in- 

 cluding California, Oregon, Washington, and northern Idaho. All 

 varieties that have become at all acclimated are characteristically white- 

 grained, soft, and starchy. Usually the factor which is probably most 

 influential in producing a grain of such nature is the lack of humus in 

 the soil, as is true in the irrigated district. The generally cool sum- 

 mers, however, no doubt give aid to the same end. Hard red-grained 

 varieties, when Ijrought to this district, deteriorate in a few years time. 

 Nevertheless such introductions have in a number of instances proved 

 beneficial. 



A majorit}^ of the more common varieties strictly characteristic of 

 the district are of the group usually called club wheats and belong 

 to the species Trlticmit cmn].)actum. Sonora, Defiance, and Australian 

 of California, Red Chaff of Oregon (distinct from the Palouse Red Chaff' 

 of the Palouse country), and Palouse Blue Stem of Washington are 

 not, howev^er, club wheats. As the botanical name of the clul) group 

 implies, these wheats have their spikelets (meshes) so compactly 

 arranged in the heads that they stand out nearly at right angles with 

 the rachis (or stem of the head). The head thus becomes squarely 

 formed (hence the name square head applied to many of the varieties), 

 and, ])eing usually a little larger at the apex than at the base, Appears 

 club shaped. Thus, although the heads are usually rather short, each 

 contains comparatively a large number of grains, which partially 

 accounts, probably, for the large yields per acre in this district. Heads 

 of Chili Club are occasionally found that contain over 160 grains each. 



A very valuable characteristic of the club wheats is their ability to 

 hold the grain in the chaff so that there is little danger of shattering, 

 even durinof the driest season, if there should be much delav in the 

 harvest. In some localities the grain, though ripening in July, is 

 sometimes left standing till September before harvesting, a habit which, 

 however, has no good excuse for its practice. 



For the purpose of clearer discussion, the district may be considered 

 as subdivided into three sections — California, Oregon, and the Palouse 

 country of Washington and northern Idaho. 



In southern California the varieties Sonora and Defiance are much 

 grown, the latter particularly for its rust resistance, which is an im- 

 portant need in this part of the State. Sonora wheat has a reddish 

 velvet chaff, is beardless, and is white-grained as seen in this district. 

 The grain is a little harder than that of the club wheats and is used 

 for export, while the grain of the latter is used for home consumption. 



From the latitude of Fresno to the Oregon State line Austndian and 

 the various strains of club wheats are principally cultivated. The best 

 known varieties that are given special names at all are Golden Gate 

 Club, Salt Lake Club, and Chili Clul). The variety Propo is also 



