18 FORAGE CONDITIONS AND PROBLEMS. 
prominent on the high elevations. After reaching the Grand Coulee, 
however, we were never out of sight of sagebrush until the wheat 
region west of Ritzville was reached. In many places on the lower, 
well-drained slopes, there were large patches of giant rye grass (E7/y- 
mus condensatus), while bunch bluegrass (Poa levigata) is of con- 
siderable value on the lower portions of the depressions. : 
The Grand Coulee, which crosses the Big Bend country from north 
to south, is a deep gorge, 1 to 3 miles wide, and was the bed of 
the Columbia River during the glacial period. The portions of this 
coulee visited are in most cases very alkaline. In places there is some 
seepage from the bluffs which has washed the salt out of the soil 
over limited areas, and these produce good crops of hay. In the 
vicinity of the numerous ponds only salt-loving plants are found. In 
one place was seen a large area, half a section or more, covered with 
creeping spike rush (/’leocharis palustris), which was practically the 
only forage plant growing in this hay meadow. In the vicinity of 
the numerous ponds salt grass (Destychlis spicata) abounds, and 
grease wood is always found a little farther from the ponds, while on 
the better-drained lands the common sagebrush is the most conspicu- 
ous vegetation everywhere. The saltbushes (Atriplex spp.) are of 
little account here as compared with the Great Basin region to the 
south. As would be expected in such a formation and with such 
physical features, conditions are quite variable. One runs into unex- 
pected areas of grass in pockets in the bluffs where the vegetation is 
wholly different from anything found for miles around. As an exam- 
ple, might be mentioned a shelf-like recess in the bluffs on the north 
side of the coulee, where there was an excellent stand of water foxtail 
(Alopecurus geniculatus) covering an area 2 or 3 acres in extent. 
Usually this grass is not abundant enough to attract much attention 
any where. 
On nearly all of the ‘‘scab” lands from here south along our route 
to Trinidad, as well as at other points in the Kittitas and Wenas val- 
leys west of the Columbia River, the black sage of the mountains 
(Artemisia arbuscula) predominates over the common black sage of 
the lower, more sandy soils. Here also there are large areas of the 
valuable species of sage known to botanists as Artemisia rigida. This 
differs from the other two closely related species in having finely 
divided leaves and in being relished by stock, more especially by 
horses and sheep. It was especially abundant at Trinidad, on the 
western exposure of the Kittitas Valley, between Ephrata and Moses 
lakes, and in the vicinity of Lyons Ferry. In all of these localities it 
showed evidences of being grazed during the past winter. 
As far as observed, the areas which have been opened up to wheat 
culture are not particularly sagebrush lands. On the contrary, they 
are what is commonly known as bunch grass (Agropyron sprcatum) 
