Alaska, in cooperation with the Alaska stations and along the lines of work which the stations should do were the money available.

As a beginning in this work we need a thorough investigation of the native grasses and forage plants, and a study of the way in which the more valuable ones can be rendered of practical utility under culture. Certain species of grasses grow most luxuriantly in particular localities, and native species of Leguminosa, which may be valuable forage plants, grow in certain regions. The study of these plants and the ascertaining of their economic value are of first importance. It is believed that they will do better than introduced species. A specialist from the Division of Agrostology could spend two seasons in Alaska profitably. The Bureau of Chemistry could render aid by analyzing samples, so as to learn what rank native forage plants will take when compared with those under cultivation.

Much work should be done in the near future in plant breeding. Alaska is rich in native berries of many kinds, which are very palatable. The little native cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idea) is better flavored than the cultivated eastern cranberry. It grows in profusion nearly everywhere in the coast region and in most places in the interior. It could be improved in size and productiveness. Likewise the native salmon berry (Rubus spectabilis), which is a large, well-flavored berry. It could probably be improved by crossing with the raspberry. The native strawberry is a vigorous and hardy plant, and could be improved in productiveness and size of berry. So also with the crab apple, the huckleberries, and other native plants. This is proper work for the station, but the Department could aid in it. A general botanical survey of the Territory should be made and specimens for reference should be placed in the herbarium of Alaska plants which has been commenced at the headquarters station.

The soils of Alaska are in some respects peculiar. Much of the vegetable matter is only partly decayed. In places the soil is peaty, in other places sandy, gravelly, or clayey, each differing from the others in fertility and adaptiveness to crop culture. Soil surveys in two or three regions best adapted to agriculture would be of great value to the development of the country.

With the introduction of garden vegetables destructive insects are also appearing. Many complaints have reached the station from southeastern Alaska of insects which destroy root crops particularly, and also kale and similar crops.

The Alaska fund does not admit of the employment of a specialist to study this question, and valuable aid could be rendered to Alaska and doubtless much information collected if an entomologist from the Department could be assigned to duty in the Territory for one or two seasons. The headquarters station could provide laboratory facilities, S. Doc. 148, 58-2—21

and all the stations could serve as centers from which specialists thus assigned could operate. The station could possibly also defray part of the expense while in the field. All this is work that should be done by the station, had it the funds.

An allied interest of scarcely less importance to the Territory is the question of the preservation and proper utilization of the forests. Southeastern Alaska has extensive forests of valuable timber. The best portion of it has already been exempted from use by the creation of a forest reservation. While it is wise to prohibit wanton destruction, it will retard development of the Territory to forbid the conservative use of matured timber. Government supervision is needed in the interior, as settlers come in even more than on the coast, for the reason that the timber there is smaller and that there is none at all over large areas and the merchantable timber is more easily exhausted. The wooded districts must furnish building material and fuel for large areas which have no timber. Timber grows slowly there, and unless the supply is husbanded now future generations are bound to suffer. Steps should be taken to protect the wooded districts from forest fires, which have already caused great destruction in many places, and the cutting of timber should be under the guidance of a forester. The experiment stations in Alaska could assist in this work if given the authority and men and means provided.

INTRODUCTION OF CATTLE.

The cattle which are brought to the settlements in Alaska are of no particular breed or type, and most of them contain some Jersey blood, Jerseys being somewhat numerous on the coast. These cattle are not well suited to the conditions. The cattle best adapted to Alaska should have a heavy coat of hair, like the Galloway or the West Highland cattle, to protect them from the cold rains of the coast region and the severe cold of the interior. The Government would confer a lasting benefit on the Territory by establishing a herd of one or the other of these breeds on Kadiak Island, where a reservation could be made for the purpose. If settlers were permitted to buy the increase at their market value for breeding purposes, the Territory would in a few years be supplied with a type much better adapted to the climate than are the cattle now brought in. I would recommend the Galloway breed. In this connection it is pertinent to note that a company of beef and pork packers in Seattle has the past summer grazed a herd of about 250 head grade Herefords and about 9,000 sheep on Kadiak Island. It is understood that they have done well. One thousand of the sheep were brought up in the summer of 1902, and wintered in the an experiment. Several hundred of them were drowned on one occasion by the rising tide, but many of them wintered in fair shape.

open as

Enterprises of this nature should be encouraged as long as they do not encroach on the rights of settlers. The grass is there going to waste. Turning it into beef and mutton is to transmute it to a useful purpose.

WORK AT SITKA STATION.

The cultural work at the Sitka Station is detailed in the following pages. The weather conditions, which are of such preeminent importance in the latitudes of Alaska, were partly favorable and partly not. The spring was late and cold, delaying planting. August was the most favorable month, having twelve clear days, and the temperature reached a maximum of 79 F., but growth had not been rapid enough up to that time. June had eight clear days, and July only five. The results were that all crops were late in maturing.

VEGETABLES.

The vegetables here noted were all grown on soil which had been cultivated but three years and which is far from being comparable with average good garden soil. It will take several years more to get it in good tilth.

Beans.-Broad Windsor, seeded May 21. June 15, germinated well; strong, healthy plants. July 1, very vigorous grower. July 15, 12 inches high, in bloom. August 1, no pods set yet. August 15, many pods set. September 1, a large number of pods ready for use. The Windsor bean deserves to be cultivated in every Alaskan garden. The beans should be used when about full grown, but before they begin to ripen. They should be cooked like Lima beans, and compare very favorably with the latter in flavor. It is the one variety of bean which is hardy enough to grow successfully in Alaska.

Improved Golden Wax Bush, seeded May 21. June 15, only a few plants, yellow and sickly looking. July 1, growing slowly, first leaves out. July 15, sickly plants, very poor. August 1, plants small, buds formed, none open. August 15, only a few pods set. September 1, pods large enough to use as snap beans. The few plants which we attempted to raise produced about a quarter of a crop marketable snap beans; still, on drier soil, they would doubtless have done better. Occasionally one hears of bush beans doing well, but ordinarily they are not a sure crop.

of

Thorburn Dwarf Lima, seeded June 8. July 1, germinated poorly, plants yellow and sickly looking; many plants pulled up or broken off by ravens. July 15, not doing well. August 1, failure.

Beets.-Extra Early Egyptian, seeded May 21. June 15, up and doing very well. July 1, growing slowly. The same condition July 15. August 15, doing well in last ten days. September 1, growing fast. October 3, not large, but of good quality.

Golden Tankard, seeded May 21. June 15, up and doing very well. July 1, growing slowly. July 15, making slow growth. August 15, doing better in last ten days. September 1, growing fast.

Mammoth Food, seeded May 21. June 15, up and growing some. Grew slowly during July. August 15, began to grow more rapidly. September 1, growing fast.

Eckendorfer, seeded May 21. June 15, up and growing some. Grew slowly during July. August 15, growing more rapidly than heretofore. September 1, growing rapidly.

All of these beets were small. The soil was too wet. Beets can be grown successfully in Alaska. The writer has seen them 4 inches in diameter on warm, well-drained soil.

Brussels sprouts. Improved Half Dwarf, seeded in hotbed April 20. Plants set out June 6 and 9. July 1, growing rapidly. September 1, plants very thrifty, sprouts slow in developing, much variation between individuals. September 15, some plants slow in developing sprouts, others have fine auxiliary heads and are all that could be desired.

Cabbage. Early Winningstadt, seeded in hotbed April 20.

Plants

set out May 27 and June 20. July 1, all doing well. July 15, all doing well, but the early-set plants are no better than those planted out four weeks later. August 15, thrifty, not heading. September 1, heads forming, none solid yet. September 15, fine solid heads.

Early Jersey Wakefield, seeded in hotbed April 20. Plants set out June 6. July 1, slow growth. July 15, growing quite well. August 1, growing nicely. August 15, thrifty, beginning to head. September 1, some heads bursting, excellent quality. October 1, very fine cabbage.

Early Summer, seeded in hotbed April 20. Plants set out June 6, 9, 12, and 20. July 1, growing rapidly. July 15, ahead of any other variety at this time. August 1, growing nicely. August 15, thrifty, but not heading yet. September 15, heading well. October 3, headed nicely.

Extra Early Express, seeded in hotbed April 20. Plants set out June 6 and 13. July 1, vigorous, making rapid growth. July 15, doing well. August 1, growing nicely. August 15, thrifty, not heading. September 15, heading well. October 3, headed nicely. A desirable early variety.

Plants set out June 6
July 15, doing well.

Late Drumhead, seeded in hotbed April 20. and 13. July 1, making very slow growth. August 1, growing rapidly. September 1, no heads formed; plants thrifty. September 15, beginning to head. October 3, headed nicely. October 26, large solid heads still growing.

Danish Ball Head, seeded in hotbed April 20. Plants set out June 6, 9, and 13. July 1, slow growth; not fully established. July 15,

doing quite well. August 1, growing rapidly. September 1, large and thrifty, but no heads at this date. October 15, large, solid heads of fine quality.

Octo

Moscow, seeded in hotbed April 20. Plants set out June 20. ber 15, small round heads on tall stalks. This variety has nothing to commend it. For a long time it gave little hope of producing more than small bunches of leaves, and several plants failed to head. The stalk is abnormally tall. Seed from Moscow, Russia.

Cauliflower.-Extra Early Snowball, seeded in hotbed April 20. Plants set out June 6 and 9. July 1, rather backward; slow in becoming established. September 1, very fine heads; quality excellent. Several heads 9 inches in diameter.

Carrot.--Chantenay Half Long, seeded May 20. June 6, coming up. June 15, making good growth. July 15, doing well. August 1, doing very well. August 15, making better growth than earlier in the season. September 1, very fine, of marketable size at this date.

and still growing.

Other varieties seeded were Long White, Half Long Danvers, Champion, and Half Long Scarlet Horn, but the ground proved to be too wet for normal development.

Celery. Giant Pascal, seeded in hotbed April 20. Set out plants June 24. July 1, growing well. July 15, very yellow, poor prospects; that reset in spent hotbed doing well. August 1, that in spent hotbed doing well, ready to blanch.

Improved White Plume, seeded in hotbed April 20. June 24 set plants in spent hotbed. July 1, growing well. August 1, doing well. August 15, ready to blanch.

Golden Self Blanching, seeded in hotbed April 20. June 24 set plants in spent hotbed. July 1, growing well. July 15, doing well. August 15, ready to blanch; that which was transplanted to open ground was a failure. September 1, excellent; that which was left standing on spent hotbed is better than that which was reset. September 15, very fine, from 2 to 3 feet high.

The garden soil is still too raw and in too poor tilth to produce good celery, hence the plants set there did not do well. The rich soil in the old spent hotbed suited it and it grew to compare with celery found anywhere.

Kale.-Dwarf Green Curled Scotch, seeded in open ground May 21. June 6, up, very good stand. July 1, growing well. July 15, growing very fast. September 1, equals that reset from hotbed. September 15, very good. October 3, exceedingly fine.

Dwarf Green Curled Scotch, seeded in hotbed April 20. Plants set out June 9. July 1, very slow. August 1, growing slowly. August 15, growing better than earlier in the season. September 1, growing very well. September 15, very good. October 3, exceedingly fine.