12 GRASS LANDS OF THE SOUTH ALASKA COAST. 



has thick stems and thick leaves, in consequence of which it cures 

 slowly. Beach sedge has a three-sided, solid, pithy stem, and is 

 therefore very difficult to dry. All three of these plants grow so 

 luxuriantly that they often yield 3 tons of hay or more per acre. 



Of forage plants other than grasses the lupine and fireweed, here- 

 after described, are both abundant. In a green state they are readily 

 eaten by sheep, but cattle prefer the grasses. 



In portions of the island which have been more or less closely 

 grazed for some years it was noticeable that the taller wild grasses 

 had largely disappeared, being replaced principally by bluegrass 

 {Poa 2)ratensis) and wild barley {Hordeum horeale). Cattle seem 

 to be much more fond of the former than of the latter grass, although 

 in parts of northern Euroj^e the Avild barley is considered a most, 

 excellent grass. 



All of Kadiak Island, except a small portion in the extreme north- 

 east, is practically timberless, as are most of the adjacent islands. 

 In the valleys, however, there is usually a small number of cotton- 

 woods and willows, and on wet slopes scrub willows and alders form 

 dense thickets. Afognak Island, however, which lies northeast of 

 Kadiak, is quite densely covered with spruce. 



ALASKA PENINSULA AND ADJACENT ISLANDS. 



The whole region to the west of Kadiak Island might briefly be 

 described as similar to that island, but entirely deviod of timber, the 

 shrubs being more scrubby and the grasses less luxuriant. The 

 peninsula itself is very mountainous, and for considerable stretches 

 along the coast the hills rise abruptly from the water's edge. In the 

 bays and inlets, however, there are frequently considerable areas of 

 comparatively IcA^el lands well grassed, though seldom as luxuriantly 

 covered as those before mentioned. The islands lying off the coast 

 are comparatively low, and some of them are said to be exceedingly 

 Avell adapted to stock raising. Such areas as were examined indicate 

 that in general there is a greater variety of forage grasses than to 

 the eastward, but most of them are smaller in size. 



At the present time there is a mail steamer plying once a month 

 betw^een Valclez and Unalaska. This boat carries the mail, and stops 

 at such points as business demands. The population of this entire 

 region is exceedingly sparse, and many of the outlying islands would 

 probably have to be reached by means of sailing craft. 



UNALASKA AND THE NEIGHBORING ISLANDS. 



Unalaska and the neighboring islands difl'er on the whole-compara- 

 tively little from Kadiak Island, though the vegetation as a rule is 



