402 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



on the last day of July. Wheat was matured at Sitka in 1896 and flax 

 was in full bloom at the same place the first of September this year. 

 Buckwheat is said to have been grown in the Cook Inlet region, 

 although none was seen. 



Nearly every village has a number of gardens in which, in spite of 

 very indifferent cultivation between planting and harvest, potatoes, 

 turnips, rutabagas, cabbages, cauliflowers, peas, carrots, radishes, let- 

 tuce, onions, etc., are grown. Specimens from Kadiak of what are 

 supposed to be Beauty of Hebron potatoes weighing more than 1 lb. 

 each are now in this Office. Celery of excellent quality was grown at 

 the same place the past season. 



Some form of bedding the soil is practiced nearly everywhere, but 

 the greatest evil is the tendency to crowding through planting too 

 closely. Close planting seems nearly always the rule, and it results in 

 such a complete shading of the ground that the sun's rays rarely or 

 never strike the soil. Poor drainage is often an accompaniment of 

 close planting, and with the rank growth of weeds it is no wonder that 

 meager results are secured. 



Alaska is preeminently a berry country. Wild strawberries, cur- 

 rants, raspberries, salmon berries, blueberries, huckleberries, and 

 cranberries abound, and in addition there are numerous others of more 

 local distribution. But little attempt has been made to domesticate any 

 of them, although some strawberries, raspberries, and currants were 

 seen in a few gardens. A few plum trees have been planted, but tliey 

 have not yet produced fruit. No attempt seems to have been made 

 to graft any of the more hardy apples upon the native wild crab, 

 although the latter is abundant throughout southeastern Alaska. 



The live stock industry is represented by a few horses, milch cows, 

 beef cattle, pigs, chickens, and one small flock of sheep. On account 

 of the limited supply of winter forage stock is generally in very poor 

 condition in the spring, but a few weeks' grazing upon the abundant 

 and nutritious grasses puts the animals in good flesh. 



A limited quantity of hay is made at various places, but the gen- 

 erally cloudy weather is thought to be very unfavorable to haymak- 

 ing. With more care in cutting and handling the grass a much greater 

 amount of hay could be made, and if the methods of Iceland and some 

 other portions of Europe or those said to be adopted by the Hudson 

 Bay Company were followed all the hay necessary could probably be 

 made. In a few instances silos have been rather successfully employed, 

 but as most of them were poorly constructed and not properly filled 

 with grass, complaints were heard that the silage was so badly molded 

 that stock would not eat it. Under proper conditions of ensiling this 

 could probably be avoided. 



The climate of the coast region of southern Alaska, as shown by 

 records kept by the Bussians as well as by observers of the Weathei 

 Bureau of this Department, is a very moist but not cold one. Zerc 

 weather is of short duration and — 10° F. is seldom experienced. Ii 



