90 



This your it was late in August aiul ScptonilxT. I have a silo, but prefer 

 putting niy entire cro]) of grass into liay wlien I can hit suitable weather for 

 making it. 



My attention has been called several times to the fact that the cultivated 

 grasses, such as timothy and clover, have winterkilled badly in some sections. 

 Has not this been chiefly on account of insufticient drainage? All along those 

 many miles of trail the pack train travex'sed during the Yukon rush the volun- 

 teer clover and timothy grow most luxuriantly and does not appear to winter- 

 kill in the least. The large parade ground at the military post which was 

 sowed last July with varieties and proportions of seed recommended by you 

 wintered perfectly and is looking remarkably well, though it has been much 

 used, and for several months the horses and cattle were not kept off. 



Henry Partridge, Hooiiah, Alaska. — I received from the Department beet, 

 carrot, pea, turnip, parsnip, rutabaga, lettuce, and onion seeds. They all 

 grew very well. With 600 turnip plants I raised 1,800 pounds of nice, juicy 

 turnips ; 650 ruta-baga plants weighed 1,020 i)oiuids — the flnest ruta-bagas I 

 ever tasted ; 250 carrot plants yielded 118 pounds ; some carrots were 12 inches 

 long and 9 inches in circumference ; 80 parsnip plants yielded 50 pounds ; 100 

 onion plants yielded 18 pounds, the largest being about 2 inches in diameter ; 

 100 beets weighed 70 pounds, and were of the best (luality one could wish to 

 see. Peas and lettuce grew fine. 



I also planted 50 fjounds of potatoes which I took from a sack which we had 

 bought to eat. To my great surprise the 50 pounds grew to 490 pounds of the 

 best and mealiest f)Otatoes I ever ate. 



This little garden is located about 20 miles from Hoonah village, near Swan- 

 son Harbor. It is 80 by 100 feet. The soil is a deep black loam. To fertilize 

 the grovuid I used decayed seaweed and old salmon from the streams. I expect 

 too add a little to the patch every year until it is a modern farm. I am satis- 

 tied that farming can be made a success in Alaska. 



Charles B. Bolim. Tree Point Light Citation. Alaska. — This year's (1904) crop 

 has not been exceedingly good on account of using new ground and no fertilizer. 

 I have been trying to catch fish for use as fertilizer with a view to improving 

 the soil. 



I have a few onions, some lettuce, some Extra Early Paris caidiflower, and 

 some potatoes, but they all grew very slowly. I also have a little Early 

 Curled parsley and a few heads of cabbage. The Crimson Globe beets grew 

 uf) a few inches and then stopped. Champion ruta-bagas and Tall Curled Scotch 

 kale are growing fine. 



Flowers have done well. The wallflower is ?, feet high, but without lilossoms. 

 The poppies are :U feet and full of blossoms. 



G. W. Gervais. HoUis, Alaska. — In regard to the growth of seed planted in 

 1904, I will say that it was a very backwai-d year, and nothing did as well this 

 year as last. The Early Jersey Wakefield cabbage and the cauliflower were 

 fairly good : also the Early turnij) and Long Red I'adishes and the Mammoth 

 Hed Leaf lettuce. Onions from sets did well. Rhul)arb is a great success. I 

 shall try again in 1905. 



Sathan B. Whitfield. Ketehikaii. Alaska. — Owing to the backward and cool 

 spring in 1904, gardening did not begin here till the last of Ma.v or the first of 

 June. The seed sent me were planted on the same soil which last year pro- 

 duced better results than it did this year with the same amount of attention. 



Last year (1903) lettu((> gr(>w 14 inches across the head, this year from 10 

 to 12 inches; last ye.ir turnips grew to 5 inches in diameter, this year 4 inches; 

 last year beets grew to o^ inches in diameter, this year 2^ inches; last year 



