CEREAL CULTIVATION WESTERN AREA 419 



particularly in the Columbia Basin. As the fires start 

 with a flash, accompanied by a report and considerable 

 force, they are usually referred to as explosions. These 

 fires became so numerous in 1914, in the Palouse country, 

 that many supposed them to be due to incendiarism. In- 

 vestigation showed that the causes were possibly several, 

 but chiefly the prevalence of bunt or stinking smut, asso- 

 ciated with extreme dryness of the grain and of the atmos- 

 phere, resulting in heavy charges of static electricity. 



The Washington Experiment Station (Cardiff and others, 

 1914) studied thoroughly the conditions accompanying 

 these fires. It was found that the relative humidities at 

 5 P.M. at both Walla Walla and Spokane, for August 

 in 1914, were the lowest recorded for 6 years. The per- 

 centage of moisture in the grain was extremely low, 

 averaging 3.58 per cent, while the lowest previously noted 

 was 6.17 per cent, and the average for 6 years was 9.98 

 per cent. The percentage of bunt in the grain was also 

 much above that of previous years. In 10 cases out of 

 31 that were reckoned, there was 20 per cent to 30 per 

 cent of bunt. It is suggested that on the basis of studies 

 so far made, the following precautions be taken : 



(1) The cylinder of the separator should be grounded by means 

 of an electric brush, connected to the earth by wire and an iron peg. 

 (2) Every separator should be provided with a system of water 

 sprinklers. (3) Barrels of water should be at hand, and buckets be 

 provided for applying the water in case of fire, and for no other pur- 

 pose. (4) Furrows should be plowed around the setting before be- 

 ginning the thrashing. (5) The engine should be connected by a 

 strong cable with the separator, enabling the latter to be pulled 

 away from the straw pilje at the outbreak of the fire. (6) Members 

 of the crew should be given definite directions just what to do in 

 case of fire. 



