LOCATION OF THE GRASS LANDS. 13 



decidedly less luxuriant. The grasses are much the same in kind, 

 although differing in their relative abundance. Some difficulty 

 would he experienced on these islands in finding sufficient tall grass 

 to furnish winter fodder in case large quantities were necessary, 

 though in some of the more sheltered valleys small areas were olb- 

 served where the grasses were very tall. There is quite a herd of 

 cattle at Unalaska which, according to local reports, receive but very 

 flight attention during the wnnter, only a small quantity of feed 

 being cut for them. The principal advantage of Unalaska and the 

 neighboring islands would seem to lie in the fact that they are on 

 the line of travel of the vessels going to the Yukon and to Nome. If 

 sufficient numbers of cattle were raised on these islands, doubtless 

 little difficulty would be experienced in finding a market for them at 

 the above-mentioned points. Indeed, a Seattle company, Avhich pur- 

 poses, among other things, to engage in cattle raising primarily for 

 these northern markets, has already begun operations on Akun 

 Island. 



KENAI PENINSULA. 



Kenai is the name given to the large peninsula lying between Cook 

 Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska. That portion of it on the east side of 

 Cook Inlet and north of Kachemak Bay, comprising an area 100 

 miles long by 20 to ;]0 miles wide, is an extensive plateau. Its south- 

 ern portion, on Kachemak Bay, lies 500 to 1,000 feet or more above 

 the sea level. It slopes mainly to the westward, so that that part 

 from Anchor Point northward is but 100 to 200 feet above the sea 

 level. Most of this land is timbered with spruce, but there are con- 

 siderable areas of grass near Anchor Point, near Homer, and on the 

 north side of Kachemak Bay. 



At Homer there is an extensive sand spit, about 4 miles in length 

 and from one-fourth to 1 mile across, which supports a good growth 

 of several grasses and sedges. Beach rye is the most important and 

 most abundant, but red fescue, bluegrass, and seashore grass furnish 

 considerable grazing. At the base of the spit the land rises grad- 

 ually to the high plateau above, the scattered timber giving the ap- 

 pearance of mountain parks. The open portions of this land support 

 a luxuriant growth of bluetop, often 6 feet tall. At a rough estimate 

 the open grass lands in this vicinity comprise about 2,000 acres. 



The site of a proposed Finnish colony is on the north side of Kache- 

 mak Bay, not far from its head. From the colony site to the head of 

 the bay are extensive tide flats, which are mainly covered with 

 sedges about 2 feet high. The marshy nature of these lands, together 

 with the coarse nature of the forage, makes them of but limited value. 

 Undoubtedly they can be much improved by diking. 



