In this agricultural history, Scheuerman (education, Seattle Pacific U.) and McGregor (historian, McGregor Company) describe the introduction, cultivation, and cultural history of characteristic Pacific Northwest crops, particularly wheat. Beginning with an introduction to the ancient history and scientific basis of plant breeding, the book moves on to the economic, political, and social dynamics responsible for bringing wheat, fruit, sheep, and other farm commodities to the area. The growth and proliferation of the local agricultural industry is described in increasing detail moving forward in time, with many local varieties of wheat being distinguished by 1920. The recent influence of environmentalism on agriculture is addressed in the last few chapters. Hand-drawn illustrations, photographs in both grayscale and color, and several appendices supplement the text. Annotation ©2014 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)