3('.8 



RKPOKT OF OFFIOK OF KXI'KKIMKNT STATIONS. 



Am iiiculcitor wjis iuUk'd last spriiij,'' Jind was niii successfully in 

 iiatcliinj:" hotli rliickciis and ducks which were iiiti'ustcd to honicniade 

 hroodcrs. pattciMicd attci' ])laiis »;iven in what was supposed to he a 

 rcliahic authoritN. At the awof ahout a week the chicks hejran to 

 die. and l)ut few were saved froiu the tirst hatch. Afterwards the 

 chicks were oi\(Mi to liens and they thrived hetter. Wc have at this 

 time ahout 70 3'ouii<^ chickens and 40 younj^ ducks. The yield of eggs 

 may he interesting;, and is ^ivcn hy months foi- each variety. 



Egg-layitig record of hens <iii<l iIkcLs. 



The Pekin ducks mature much more quickly than the common kind, 

 do not sit, are not rangers, and need water only for drinking-. 



The Wyandotte chicks seem less hard}- than the Langshan, and we 

 have succeeded in raising few of them. A small tiock of geese has 

 been added to the list of poultry. Others have succeeded very well 

 with them here and at Kadiak. 



Curtis P. Coe, 

 Superintendent Kadiak Bajdlfit Orphanage. 



I })eg leave to call special attention to the following letter from Mr. 

 W. H. Swinchart, at Fort Selkirk, Yukon Territory: 



Dear Sik: Yoiins dated May 14, 1908, just at hand, and in reply will make an 

 effort to de.serilie in a meager way the method.s we pursue after five years' experience 

 at agricultural work on the Yukon. 



To begin with, we are the pioneer farmers of this country heyond a douht, as we 

 were plowing on June 21, 181(8, at this place, our present field of operation-^. Fur- 

 ther, we do not wish to be classed with the truck gardener of this section, as we 

 adhere strictly to field fanning without irrigation, nor do we use hothouses or hot- 

 beds of any description — just straight fanning, i)ure and simple. In the f^ast many 

 believe that we must use canvas or other means to start plants, ami then transplant 

 to the field or garden. This i.s erroneous. We sow seeds in drills after the soil 

 becomes fit to receive them. First our home garden, usually from May 1 to May 10 

 (as early as possil)le of course); after that we drill according to the vegetables and 

 the time it takes to mature them. 



We grow winter-keeping goods altogether, as we have no truck market at this point. 

 La,st season we seeded for winter goods the following dates: Carrots and beets, May 

 10; potatoes. May 14; ruta-bagas, June 3; parsnips, June 4; cabbages, May 7. We con- 

 sidered it too early for the ruta-bagas, as they grew too large for nice marketable 

 goods, and this year we will not seed for ruta-bagas before June 20. 



Oats we sow in the usual w^ay about May 1 and harvest rather green for hay. Oats 

 fully mature here — at least they have the past four seasons. 



