REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. LXI 



The probieui wliith the Department has undertaken to work out is 

 to determine whether a sufficient agriculture and horticulture can be 

 developed in Alaska to form an important subsidiary industry to aid 

 in the permanent development of mining, fisheries, and lumbering, 

 which will undoubtedly be the leading industries of this region. If 

 all the food supplies of the population engaged in these industries 

 must be transported from the United States and Canada, it is evident 

 that the development of Alaska will be much slower and uncertain 

 than if a considerable portion of these supplies can be produced in the 

 Territory. It has already been shown that the green vegetables raised 

 in Alaska have been an important factor in maintaining the health of 

 the mining communities. If our investigations should do nothing 

 more than establish on a sound basis the growing of vegetables in lit- 

 tle gardens about the cottages of miners and fishermen in Alaska, they 

 will make an adequate return for the funds expended on them. But 

 there is a fair prospect that they w^ill do much more than this. There 

 are large areas on the Avestern peninsula, in Cook Inlet, and on the 

 islands which are naturally adapted to the growing of live stock. The 

 fact that a considerable number of domestic animals have already been 

 maintained in this region would seem to show that an animal industry 

 might 1)e developed there. The Department will attempt to find out 

 under what conditions this can best be done. 



The growdng of grain and other forage crops on a large scale in this 

 region and in the interior is still problematical. The experiments 

 which the Department has thus far conducted have been very largely 

 made with reference to the determination of general agricultural pos- 

 sibilities of the Territory. The growing to maturity of such plants as 

 wheat and oats in any region, even in small quantities, furnishes an 

 excellent indication of the climatic and soil conditions of that region 

 with reference to its agricultural possibilities, for we know quite 

 definitely what is required for the maturing of such plants. 



In southern Alaska, which is the only part of Alaska seen by most 

 tourists, the forests cover most of the land. The natural meadows, 

 which occur in considerable numbers, are usually of quite limited 

 extent, and for the most part escape the notice of Adsitors pursuing the 

 ordinary lines of travel. The clearing of land for agricultural purposes 

 in this region will necessarily be expensive, and will only be done as 

 lumbering takes away the trees and increase of population makes a 

 demand for agricultural products. In most respects this region does 

 not difi'er materially from that of Puget Sound. It is probable that 

 ultimately it will become the home of a considerable population, part 

 of whom will engage in agriculture; the growing of such crops as oats, 

 barley, potatoes, buckwheat, turnips, and other vegetables, together 

 with dairying, will become important industries, and it is probable 



