KIKLI) CKOI'S. 125 



FIELD CROPS. 



Fourth, report on the ag-ricultural investigations in Alaska, 1900, (!. C. 



(iKouiiESoN ( r. S. Dijil. .l(/r., Ojlirr of K>:pcrintcn( Stdtiuiis Iliil. ^4, J>p- ^'>'->, jilx. J.f). — 

 This re]>ort deaLs with I'xiK'iinK-nts in growing cereals luul vegetal)k'S at the Sitka 

 and Kenai ^'xiiorinient stations and at inmuTous other jxjints, and tlie stejw taken to 

 cstahhsh experiment stations at llanipart and Fort Ynkon in the valley of the Yukon 

 l\i\('r. 



Sprini,' wlieat, ))arley, rye, oats, enuner, millet, Ijuckwheat, and corn were grown 

 experimentally and the results obtained, together with the charaeter and hal)its of 

 growth of the different varieties, are reported. The qualities sought in cereals for the 

 region are earliness and ability to stand u[) well during st(jrmy weather. Romanow 

 has proven the best and earliest variety of spring wheat thus far grown. Ladoga 

 ecjuals it in earliness, but is inferior in vigor and in yield. AiDong the different varie- 

 ties of l)arley, INIanshury has given the best results and Bisolsk, an imported Russian 

 variety, promises to stand next in value. Swedish rye, sown in May, 1899, and left 

 undisturbed the following winter, gave a good yield. It averaged 5 ft. high in July 

 of this year, produced heads about 6 inches long and ripened early in Septend)er. 

 The most jiromising variety of oats with regard to earliness and strength of straw was 

 Burt Extra Early, l)ut it pi'oduced rather light yields of both grain and straw. The 

 other varieties grown, although doing well, were either not cpiite early enough m- did 

 not have sufficient strength of straw. Ufa sprmg emnier matured early enough but 

 was found inferior in quality to the grains already grown in that region. The best 

 buckwheat thus far tested is Orenburg, a variety imported from Russia. A variety 

 of early corn was grown, but it proved a failure, and the author doubts the successful 

 culture of corn in Alaska, even for feed. 



Fertilizer experiments were conducted with barley, oats, and polatoi's on soil con- 

 sisting largely of decayed moss and rotten and disintegrated wood. In its virgin 

 state, this soil is almost entirely sterile. The fertilizers ai)i>lied in this connection 

 weri.' tish guano, stable manure, and seaweed, used alone or in conjunction with 

 lime. ()n unfertilized new land all the crops were failures. The best bai'ley was 

 grown on land fertilized at the rate of 5- ton of fish guano and a ton of lime per acre. 

 Ai)i)lications of 20 tons of seaweed with 2,000 lbs. of lime and a ton of fisli guano 

 alone per acre also gave good yields of barley. Lime when used al<jne was not vei-y 

 benelicial. Oats made very satisfactory growth on plats fertilized with fish guano 

 alone and in conjunction with lime. Potatoes grown without manure gave very i)Oor 

 results, but with lish guauij and lime a fair crop was produi-ed and a still better yield 

 was obtained from the use of seaweed as a fertilizer. These results "would indicate 

 that the sterility of new soil is due chiefly to a lack of availal)le plant food, and that 

 the improvement which takes place in the land under cultivation is due to the 

 gradual liberation of the elements of plant food, probably caused chiefly by the 

 action of the atmosphere." The construction of brush drains was found an effective 

 metlujd for improving the land. 



The l>ulletin further reviews the agricultural possibilities of different sections of 

 Alaska, and reproduces reports on gardening operations by settlers in various parts 

 of the coast region. The author made a tour of investigation into the interior of the 

 territory and surveyed two i)roposed sites for agricultural experiment stations, one 

 at Fort Yukon and the other at Rampart. The itinerary with full notes on the trip 

 are given and the observations are recorded. Soil temperature and meteon)logical 

 observations made at different points are shown in tables. 



The influence of the water content of the soil on the development of plants, 

 C. vox Seelhorst {Jour. Lainhr., 48 {1900), No. 2, pp. 16.5-177, pis. ^).— Experi- 

 ments were conducted with oats and spring wheat to ascertain the influence of differ- 

 ent (juantities of water in the soil on the form and composition of the plants. Five 

 grains were sown in each of X>2 pots and thi- soil in all the pots received the same 



