ALASKA EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 373 



planting, Alay 15 to 25. Windsor beans, lilood beets, and carrots, excellent growth 

 and good crop; cab1)age, three varieties, never saw finer or l)etter ([uality, many- 

 heads weighing 10 pounds each; canUliower, two varieties, largest and best lever 

 saw anywhere; celery and lettuce, four varieties, unsurpassed; onions, three varieties, 

 excellent crop, medium size and well matured; parsnips, enormous yield of large 

 roots, high flavor; i>arsley and spinach, excelU'nt; turnii)s, ruta-l)agius, and radishes, 

 many varieties, finest (piality and great yield; tomatoes, strong, vigorous growth, 

 plenty of fruit, but did not mature; cucumbers, strong, vigorous growth, plenty 

 blossoms, but no fruit; summer S(iuash, strong, vigorous growth, small fruit; 

 German wax beans, strong, vigorous growth, small fruit; rhubarb, strawberries, 

 raspberries, goosel)erries, and currants, the second season and great success; potatoes. 

 Early Ohio, immense yield, good, dry, and well inattind, ripe September 1; Karly 

 Kose, immense yield, but ]ioor (piality, sweet and watery; 15nrl>ank, immense yield, 

 (piality medium; Snowtlake, large yield, me(lium size, excellent (juality, ripe Sep- 

 tember. Romanow wheat, Maiishury barley, and liurt lOarly oats, sowed May 20, 

 same soil, fully matured August 20; good average heightand yield. Common oats and 

 barley seed from Seattle, sown at the same time and on similar ground, were much 

 better in size of grain, straw, etc., and matured (piite as early on a 4-acre tract. 

 The present season was very unfavorable, owing to the unusual rainfall in July and 

 August. 



Chtirlrs M. Broirn, Skagirni). — The seeds you sent were a pi'rfect suc(X'ss. I j)lanted 

 what I could of them and gave the rest to my neighbors, who were pleased with 

 them and what they produced. The rhubarb was of the finest quality, and fit to 

 pull long before the season was up; the cabbage was large and good; the carrots and 

 l>arsMips were excellent in yield and (|uality; some of them went to the Minneapolis 

 fair. From three short rows of ruta-bagas, about 25 feet long, there were over 400 

 pounds, all sound and solid; one weighed IG.i pounds after it was trimmed of top and 

 roots; six of th^m weighed 72 junnids, and all were large. I think we have the 

 happy medimii of climatic conditions for gardening in Alaska here in Skagway. 

 Flowers do well here. 



L. A. Barb; Skagvny. — The seed you sent last year did fuiely, particularly the 

 cauliflower and cabbage. Of the former I had one which measuri'd o feet in cir- 

 cumference and weighed 7 potmds. The carrots, turnips, and ruta-bagas also did 

 well; in fact, everything I i)lanted turned out very successfully. 



A. J. Arhison, Skagu'fuj. — The seeds sent me lor experiment have been thoroughly 

 tested and lam much pleased with the results. I have raised over 1,000 j)ounds 

 of vegetables on a lot 50 by 100 feet, the groimd having been clcare(l last year and 

 stable manure used for fertilizer. The first seeding out of dooi-s was March 'U. Let- 

 tuce, radishes, and turnips were sown June.*?; also some August 10. Peas were sown 

 June S; also beets, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, jtarsnips, Brussels sjirouts, cress, 

 potatoes, and mvistard. Cabbage, ruta-bagas, turnips, carrots, and ])otat()es were cul- 

 tivated but v«-ry little, altli(«ugh they matured jierfectly. I found lime an excellent 

 fertilizer for l)eets, Init a detriment to peas. The rhid)arb grew to a height of 18 

 inches, and celery mature(l with scarcely any attention. 



Jiilin Xiiliniil, \'<ilili:. — l have been advised to write and re(juest that you woidd 

 kindly furnish me with sevend varieties of seed Ixtth foi garden and field culture 

 suitable to this climate. I have taken up a 40-acre tract on the west side of Valdez 

 P.ay, about 1 mile «outhe;L'-t of I'ort [.iscum, on which 1 have built a housi- for myself 

 and family, whom 1 expect to join me in the spring. 1 have also done considerable 

 work on the tract in the way of clearing and getting it in order lor cultivation as early 

 in the spring as the weather will permit of farm work, a.s it is my ieiteiition to begin 

 farming.' in dead earnest, and being a l'"iMn and raised on a farm near the border of 

 Sweden up to 1SS:> until 1 came to this country, I should and dn know something 

 about farming. In a cold climaf«> like this it means hard work and pMlieiice, and I 



