82 THE SMALL GRAINS 



if there should be much delay in the harvest (see Fig. 14) . 

 In some localities the grain is sometimes left standing 

 several weeks before harvesting, a habit which, however, 

 has no good excuse for its practice. 



In southern Washington and adjacent portions of 

 Idaho and Oregon is the Columbia River Basin, which 



FIG. 26. Little Club and Palouse Bluesteni wheats. 



possesses peculiarities of soil and climate considerably 

 different from those of the Pacific Coast. The soil is 

 very finely divided volcanic ash, and when dry is simply 

 dust, but absorbs and retains moisture remarkably. After 

 rains it is sticky and hard to manage. The most serious 

 obstacle to successful wheat culture is the annual drought 

 beginning about two weeks before ripening, particularly 

 in the western and southern portions. From this cause 

 the wheat is often badly shriveled. In order to escape the 

 severe effects of drought early-maturing sorts are desir- 

 able. Toward the north and east winter-hardiness is 



