54 



NimSERY. 



A small collection of nursery stock was sent through the mail from Sitka 

 Station. Stock seemed to be in fair condition when received, and was set in 

 the ground at once. Most of the rooted trees are alive, but they made little 

 growth. Two gooseberry, three raspberry, and nine currant plants lived, but 

 made little growth. Early in September the rabbits invaded the garden, and 

 before they were detected the nursery trees had been eaten to the ground. It 

 is evident that if anything is to be done in the line of horticulture, the trees 

 will have to be protected from rabbits. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



Judge Holman presented the station with 12 plants, reserving the same num- 

 ber for his own garden, but none of the plants in either garden started. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



The flower garden was small and received little attention : yet it was admired 

 by many. 



The pansy bed of plants 1 year old has supplied the neighborhood with 

 blossoms throughout the entire summer. Crimson Flax, Candytuft, and Nemo- 

 phila began blooming about July 2.j. continuing through the summer. Poppies 

 and Larkspur both did well. 



FALL SEEDING. 



Several varieties of winter wheat and winter rye were sown on both the upper 

 and lower benches July 27 and August 3. The several varieties came up 

 quickly and made excellent growth, soon covering the ground. About the 

 middle of September observations were made on the growth and it was found 

 that the upper bench plats had been destroyed by rabbits since my last visit a 

 week before. There were five i)lats covering one-fourth acre. The lower bench 

 plats were also attacked, but it was discovered in time to make a temporary 

 rabbit-proof fence around some small plats before they were seriously damaged. 

 The rabbits were very numerous this fall, and the vegetation was killed by 

 frost unusually early, which probably accounts for their invading our fields. 

 Winter grains were grown the two previous years and the rabbits, though 

 plentiful, did not damage our crops. 



LIVE STOCK. 



The station now has a team of two fine bay horses and one milch cow and a 

 heifer calf. The horses were wintered at the station last winter principally on 

 native hay, with a small daily allowance of grain hay (PI. V. figs. 3 and 4). 

 The team kept in good flesh until put to work February l.".. freighting in the 

 station supplies. From that time the animals were reduced some in flesh, 

 having had no grain feed through the winter before being put to work. 



The cow and calf were bmuglit to the station August 20 of this year. The 

 cow w-as then giving about 20 pounds of milk daily. The trip overland from 

 Valdez was hard on the calf and the cow gave a v?ry poor quality of milk for 

 some days. The milk is now of good quality. A few days after the cow 

 arrived the milk flow increased to about 28 pounds per day; but the early 

 frosts spoiled the feed so nmch that we had to begin feeding all the stock early 

 in September, and the milk flow has drojiped back to 15 or 18 pounds per day. 

 The total yield of milk from August 21 to September 20 (thirty days) was 

 644 pounds. 



