2o 



were made, free use of the timber by miners and settlers should 

 ni)t be prohibited. Kather the whole forest area should be treated 

 as a trust fund, administered for the benefit of the people who live 

 in the conntrv. IJeoidations eould be fornnilateil for the use of 

 timl)er and f\)r the prevention of fires, and sui)ervisors shoulil be on 

 the oTound to enforce them: but eare should be taken that they in 

 no wise work a hardship on the jjeople or deter the development of 

 mininfj and a<:riculture. Fines for violations should go toward the 

 cost of administration, and. if necessary, a very small stumpa^e fee 

 might be charged for the same purpose. The use of the timber should 

 be limited strictly to the needs of the people who live there and 

 develoj) the country. No pulp mills or other manufacturing i)lants, 

 which would consume timber for purposes alien to the needs of the 

 dwellers on the soil, should be permitted. 



The writer believes that a ]K)licy api)licable only to the interior, 

 along the lines here roughly indicated, would be of great benefit to 

 Alaska. 



ANALYSES OF SOIL FROM SITKA STATION. 



The folloAving report by Dr. Milton Whitney. Chief of the Bureau 

 of Soils, on analyses of samples of soils sent him from the Sitka 

 Station, are submitted because they throw light on the quality of 

 nuich of the soil in the coast region : 



Xo. 1. Siuiiple of subsoil which is frequently thrown to the surface, and. in 

 Iila<-es where knolls have been leveled, now constitutes the surface soil. 



I'er cent. 



Nitrogen 1 0.05 



Acid digestion : 



CaO Trace. 



P2O5 Trace. 



K,0 07 



No. 2. Sample of subsoil found somewhat deeper than No. 1. 



Per cent. 



Nitrogen___ 0. 08 



Acid digestion : 



CaO .47 



P,05 .12 



K,0 . 67 



No. 3. Peaty subsoil found in hollows and spots. Sterile to agricultural 



plants. 



Per cent. 



Organic and volatile matter 93.8 



Nitrogen -46 



Acid digestion : 



CO .46 



p„05 Trace. 



kIO-I .17 



