ALASKA. 



47 



torv condition for horticultural crops, and comparative tests arc un- 

 reliable IxH'ause of the unevenness of (he soil. 



It is gi-atifving to be able to report that at the Rampart Station, 

 in about latitude G5° 40' N., several varieties of barley and oats, and 

 also winter rye, matured. Spring wheat did not mature because of 

 the late seedinjr, and winter wheat was nearlv all winterkilled be- 

 cause of an unusually light snowfall. There were several light frosts 

 in the latter part of August, but none of them injured the grains, 

 the first killing frost occurring September 13. Two and a half acres 

 were cleared, making 5 acres in all at this station. Lumber was 

 ])urchased for the erection of a house the coming summer. ^ 



At the Copper Center Station 30 acres were cultivated in 46 va- 

 rieties of gi'ain, 8 of grasses, and all the common hardy vegetables 

 comprising, with the fertilizer experiments, more than 200 plats. 

 These experiments were cut short by a killing frost which occurred 

 August 14. Some half dozen varieties of oats and barley matured, 

 but the main crops were killed and cut for hay. The testing of va- 

 rieties of cereals has been the main work at this station, and to this 

 will now be added breeding and selection of grain to secure varieties 

 suited to the region. The rainfall in the Copper River Valley is very 

 light, and irrigation would be a great help. The total precipitation 

 for the year was 10 inches, including melted snow. From the last 

 snow in May to September 1 the rainfall was 3.05 inches. In case 

 a railroad should penetrate the interior of Alaska this station should 

 be moved to a suitable point on the road. 



At the Kenai Station our efforts have been directed toward the 

 development of a dairy farm. A few cows have been gotten together 

 and the station has been supplied with dairy apparatus with a view 

 of continuing this work. All the grain at that station was cut for 

 hay. Some useful experiments with grasses and forage i^lants are 

 under way at Kenai. 



The small apjiropriation for the introduction of and experiments 

 with live stock in Alaska it is planned to utilize in the purchase of 

 Galloway cows with good milking qualities and place them tempo- 

 rarily at the Kenai Station. The object is to develop a breed which 

 shall be at once hardy and also good dair}' animals. None of the 

 distinctive dairj' breeds is hardy enough to meet the conditions. 

 The Cialloways are a hardy breed, and, although they are mainly 

 beef animals, many of the cows are fine milkers. It is hoped to de- 

 velop a general-purpose herd better suited to Alaska than any breed 

 now extant. It is also planned to purchase some sheep from Iceland 

 and some Blackfaced Scotch sheep. A beginning will probably be 

 made with 10 or 12 cows and 25 sheep. 



