ALASKA EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 317 



Junciiu l>v coopcniliou with Mr. Tbonuis Knud.son, who Wiis iiidiK-ed 

 to build a small silo in his l)arn the year before. Here the fora<^e like- 

 wise kept well, and j^avc satisfactory results in feedin*;- both horses and 

 cattle. 



The clearin^i- of land proved to be a formidable task, especially at 

 Sitka, where the stumps were larj>e and very thick on the ground. 

 "We learned that this newly cleared land was practically sterile; that 

 cultivated plants will not o-row on it until its acidity has })een neutial- 

 ized and the in(>rt plant food made available by culture and action of 

 the elements. 



At Kenai about 5^ acres of land were cleared and fenced. A selec- 

 tion of vegetables and grains were grown, and for new soil the results 

 were good. Early varieties of spring wheat, barley, oats, and part of 

 the flax and buckwheat matured. A log barn 34 by 12 feet was built, 

 as was also a small log silo. 



Data as to conditions in other parts of the Territory were collected; 

 seed was distributed; observations of soil temperatures w^ere continued, 

 and the weather observer who was sent to Sitka Iw the Weather 

 Bureau in 1<S1)8 having been withdrawn, the work of supervising the 

 voluntary weather stations in the Territory was also assigned to the 

 Alaska experiment stations. 



During the season of 19()0, while continuing work along the same 

 lines as heretofore at Sitka and Keniti, our chief energies were cen- 

 tered on learning what the capabilities of the interior were for agri- 

 culture, and the special agent spent much of the open season on the 

 Yukon. At Fort Yukon, situated north of the Arctic Circle, a tract 

 of land was selected for possible use as an experiment station and 

 surveyed; and a reservation of 320 acres was also made on the north 

 side of the Yukon, opposite the town of Kainpart, in about latitude 

 65° 30', and a superintendent was hired to ])egin work at the latter 

 place. A portion of the lower Tanana was also explored. 



We cropped some of the new ground at Sitka. While early varie- 

 ties of barley, oats, and wheat matured, it was again demonstrated 

 that new land does not produce good crops. The growth was very 

 uneven, and the condition of the soil as 3'et not suited for experimen- 

 tation. Vegetables, too, did poorly on the new land. It l)ecame evi- 

 dent that it retpiired drainage, culture, and fertilization before good 

 results could be expected. This experience has been repeated every 

 year since. 



In 1{»()1 it was demonstrated for the tirst time that grain would mature 

 on the Yukon, iioith of latitude (j5^^ N. Winter rye seeded in the fall 

 ot" IIHM) li\cd throuirh the winter and matured seed b\- (he begin- 

 ning ot" August. Barley seeded May 23 was ripe by the middle of 

 August. This was a valuable test. Mr. Isaac flones, who had l)een 

 at th(> Rampart Station since .Xugust. iJMid, resigned, not wanting to 

 stay there another winter, but in going out he maiie a reconnaissance 



