814 iJKi'oirr of ofkick ok kxtkrimknt stations. 



.A BRIEF REVIEW. 



Hoforo proceed i II >;• to consider in dctiiil the present j'ear's work, it 

 appears desirable to review hrielly the work aecomplished up to the 

 present time, in order to answer some of the (piestions which are asked 

 in rei,^ard to our work and the outlook for the future. 



The Secretary of A<j;'riculture l)e<ran investit!;ation>! on the aorieul- 

 tural ])ossihiIities of Alaska in 18117. These investigations were limiti^d 

 that year, however, to journeys in the Territory l)y thi'ee gentlemen, 

 namely. Dr. Walter II. Evans, of the OfKcc of Experiment Stations; 

 Mr. lienton Killin, of Portland, Orej»'. ; and Kev. Dr. Sheldon Jackson, 

 general agent in charge of education in Alaska. The trips of the two 

 tirst-named gentlemen were confined to the coast region, Doctor Evans 

 going as far west as Unalaska, and also up Cook Inlet. Doctor Jackson 

 made observations along the Yukon wdiilo descending this river in the 

 interest of his own special work. Doctor Evans made on his trip a val- 

 uable botanical collection confined chiefl}' to economic plants, with the 

 view of learning what the comitry ati'orded in the line of native prod- 

 ucts. This collection was eventually placed in the National Museum. 

 The report of these three gentlemen is the first authentic information 

 given to the public in regard to the agricultural possibilities in Alaska. 

 It contains statements concerning settlements along the coast, the 

 native flora, and the individual views of the travelers as to the value 

 of the country. 



In April, ISO.S, the writer w^as sent to Alaska to inaugurate actual 

 experiments in the growing of vegetables and cereals. Hardy vegeta- 

 bles had been grown by settlers in southeastern Alaska and at Kadiak, 

 but so far as can ))e learned, cereals had never been tried, and few if 

 any settlers in Alaska believed that they could be grown. He was 

 instructed to establish headquarters at Sitka, and to examine the coast 

 region with a view to inaugurate experiments at suitable points, and 

 to aid and cooperate with settlers in their efforts at gardening; to 

 ascertain the value of native grasses and forage plants as feed for live 

 stock, and particularly to experiment with their preservation in silos. 



Before the writer became connected with the work a reservation 

 was made b}' the President of the United States, under date of March 

 28, 1898, of a tract of land on Kadiak Island, comprising about a 

 quarter section. The writer was instructed to establish the metes 

 and bounds of this, with a view to its use as an experiment station. 



At Sitka a reservation was made in the somewhat broken mountain 

 valley back of the town for an experiment station, and ))y order of the 

 President the lot known as "Castle Hill," which was the only piece of 

 ground the Government had in the town which was not already dedi- 

 cated to some specific use, was set aside under date of July 18, 1898, 



