56 



2* acres have been added to the cleared land, making a total of 5* acres avail- 

 able for crops next year. The weather permitting, all of the cleared land will 

 be plowed this fall and put in readiness for seeding next spring. 



No station buildings were erected this year with the exception of a small 

 temporary stable. The lumber is on hand for the erection of a frame cottage 

 next summer, the foundation for which will be prepared this fall. The lumber 

 was obtained from the post sawmill at Fort Gibbon, 75 miles down the river 

 from Rampart. By permission of the War Department, and through the 

 courtesy of the commanding officer and the quartermaster at Fort Gibbon, 

 10,000 feet of logs were sawed into lumber at the post sawmill at the actual 

 cost of the labor required. The lumber was delivered by the United States 

 transport Jeff C. Davis, the station furnishing the nec-essary fuel for tlic trip. 



Early in September a small consignment of freight was received from Seatlile 

 consisting of harness, wagon, drag, scraper, nails, etc. 



FIELD CROPS. 



The 2i acres cleared last year was nearly all seeded to different varieties 

 of spring grain and common oats for feed. Seeding was begun May 18 and con- 

 tinued at intervals, as the ground became dry enough to harrow, till Jun« G. 

 As compared with last year, the first seeding was nearly two weeks later, the 

 half acre in grain having been seeded in May 5. 



Being practically all virgin soil without fertilizer of any kind, the stand 

 of grain was very irregular on much of the land. On the spots where stumps 

 had been burned the grain made a fine growth, but elsewhere the stand was 

 thin and the straw short and spindling. 



Following are the varieties sown and the notes on their growth : 



Manshury (Sitka-grown seed) : Seed sown May 10. .Tune 1. up. June 15, 

 good stand, 3 inches high. .July 15, best 24 inches high ; occasional heads ap- 

 pearing. August 1, height 48 Indies ; fully headed and beginning to bloom ; fine 

 appearance. August 15, grain in medium dough. September 1. ripening. Sep- 

 tember 6, harvested; heads of good length and well filled. 



Manshury (Rampart-grown seed) : Sown May 19. June 1, wp ; looking well. 

 June 15, good stand: 3 inches high. July 15, height 18 inches, best 27; par- 

 tially headed. August 1. best 50 inches high; all headed and in bloom; best 

 in the field. September 1, nearly ripe. Septenil)er (^ harvested; fine well-filled 

 heads. Last year this variety was ripe and harvested August 15, but the straw 

 was neither so tall nor the heads so large. There seem to- be very little differ- 

 ence between the growth of the Sitka and of the Rampart seed. 



Minnesota, No. 105: Sown May IS. June 1. up. June 15. fair stand; 2J 

 inches high. July 15, height of best. 24 inches; occasional heads showing. 

 August 1, height 42 inches; headed and in Vilooni ; on(> end of the ]>lat very good. 

 August 1, filling well. September 1. nc.nrly ripe. Seiitemlier C. harvested; 

 heads of good length. 



Lapland (Sitka-grown seed) : Sown May 18. June 1, coming up. June 15. 

 fair stand; 2^ inches high. July 15. average height of best, 24 inches. August 

 7, height 42 inches; headed and blooming. August 15, filling. September 1, 

 grain in hard dough and nearly ripe. September 15, harvested; heads fair. 



Flying Dutchman: Seeded May 20. June 1. up. June 15, fine stand; 3 

 inches high. July 15. heading; height 21 inches. August 1, all headed, but 

 not filling yet. August 15, fairly well filled. September 1, grain in hard dough. 

 September 5, harvested; straw and beads rather short. 



