9 



all-important one. Under present conditions, however, and largely 

 because of the distance of this section from the State station, it does 

 not seem very likely that cooperative work along this line could be 

 arranged to advantage with the station authorities. Moreover, 

 investigations carried on in connection with either the Utah or 

 Wyoming station would apply as well to this region. In the 

 northern portion of the State there is a large farming community 

 surrounding Moscow, the location of the State experiment station ; 

 and here, perhaps, the most important question is that of meadows 

 and pastures suitable in either short or long rotations for the mixed 

 or diversified farming which is coming into practice in this section, 

 since the lands are beginning to show "wheat sickness," from 

 continued cropping with that cereal. This question is also one of 

 considerable importance in eastern Washington and northeastern 

 Oregon, and is, perhaps, the most available for cooperative effort 

 between the Idaho station and the Department. 



WASHINGTON. 



This State, from its large size and its varied soil and climatic con- 

 ditions, offers a number of important and perplexing problems. 

 Much good work has already been done by the State institution, 

 both in the testing of hardy, introduced varieties and in the study 

 of native species. A great deal of this work has also been done in 

 cooperation with the Department through the Division of Agrostol- 

 ogy. At Xorth Yakima and Walla Walla some good work has also 

 been done under the auspices of the Division in the testing* of drought- 

 resistant grasses and forage crops, and also the behavior of certain 

 crops under irrigation. 



Probably the two most important forage problems for Washington 

 as well as the adjoining portions of Oregon and Idaho, are i 1 I the 

 improvement and renovation of the ranges: and (2) forage crops for 

 rotation in mixed farming in the wheat-growing region, particularly 

 in the Palouse country. Other problems of importance are alkali- 

 resistant forage crops, drought-resistant forage crops, and sand and 

 soil-binding grasses, the last, perhaps of less importance here than 

 in Oregon, since in the latter State, in addition to the Columbia 

 River region, there are vast sand areas along the immediate Pacific 

 coast where this question is a pressing one. After a conference of 

 several days with Director Bryan, Professor Spillman, and several 

 members of governing board, in which the various forage problems 

 of the State and the Northwest generally were discussed in much 

 detail, the opinion prevailed that the best line o( cooperation between 

 the Washington station and the Department would be in connection 

 with the problem of range improvement. This question is not only 



