78 



shine to dry our potntops heforo hrin^in.t; (hem in, hut Hiially had to talce them 

 < ut the best we could; the ground heint; already frozen pretty hard on the top, 

 it was not safe to wait lonj^er. 



What I can not understand is that nearly t'verylhinj^ grew to seed this year — 

 turnips, ruta-bagas, beets, celery, onions, etc. In past years only the beets 

 grew to seed. The turnip field was a mass of yellow flowers. I should be very 

 thankful to know the cause of vegetables going to seed before their time. 



I raised some parsnips and onions under glass, and transplanted to open 

 ground in June. These did fairly well. I suc-ceeded better with celery this 

 year, as it had an early start indoors in the beginning of April. Most of the 

 celery measured 3 feet in length and 7 inches in circumference at its thickest, 

 near the root. What grew to seed measured 4 feet. I tried tomatoes again, 

 but after transplanting they did not even produce blossoms. I have fresh seed 

 of an early variety, and I mean to try again. I may hit sometime on a warm 

 season and astonish everybody. We had a few ripe strawberries in the begin- 

 ning of August, but they had been in blossom from the 1st of June and could 

 not ripen for want of sunshine. The carrots were iioorer than usual. As 1 

 mentioned in my last letter, our cucumber and melons melted away liy some 

 kind of invisible frost the first week of July. Different varieties of oats, bar- 

 ley, wheat, etc., were tried. 



I am happy to acknowledge the receipt of a good supply for next year's trial. 

 I distributed a good deal of it among the Indians, especially turnip, radish, and 

 onion seed. 



In the beginning of July I received by mail a few pounds of shallots, and I 

 planted them inmiediately under glass, to try and have them mature before 

 autumn. They grew rapidly to a good size. But I am not sure that they are 

 ripe enough to keep over winter. 



John ^Y. Chapman, Anrih\ Alaska. — It gives me pleasure to acknowledge 

 receipt of a shipment of seeds from your office, by mail, for various native and 

 w'hite residents of Anvik. These have been delivered and have been gladly 

 received. 



The season has l)een a rather cold one, and all crops are already housed. 

 Potatoes are of excellent quality, and average rather larger in size than last 

 year. The carrots and beets are also better than last year. Rhubarb was 

 perfectly successful. Onions, overlooked and left in the ground last year, 

 renew'ed their growth in the spring, but did not attain to any great size. 

 Onions from seed grew to about three-fourths of an inch in diameter. The 

 flowers fhat gave the most pleasure were .stocks, clai-kias. nemophilas, poppies, 

 and sweet william. The last did not mature last year, but plants left in the 

 ground proved hardy and grew into fine flowering plants in August of this 

 year. Pansies should have been included also in this list. They survived the 

 winter and did exceedingly well, some of the blooms measuring :*. inches in 

 diameter. Chinese pinks wintered, but failed to blossom, although they were 

 full of buds and needed but a few more days to reach perfection. In a better 

 location they would doubtless have proven successful. 



A cow and a calf were imported for the mission, reaching us the last week 

 in July. Ten tons of hay were cut along the margin of the Anvik River and 

 stored for the winter at a cost (jf less than .$100. The expense should be much 

 less next year, as the ground had not been i)repared for cutting the hay. The 

 experiment of keejiing a cow nnist be i-eg.irded so far as successful, for in the 

 month and a half that we have had her she has given us more than her own 

 weight in milk — on the native forage." 



W. WenriCh, Chetia, Alaska, — Carrots planted May IS in soil cultivated foi- 



