2288 NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



lying rock or glacial deposits. In the coast region, 

 arable areas are confined to rather narrow valleys and 

 the slopes along the sea. In the interior are reported 

 more extensive areas of comparatively level land. Of 

 the coast region, the most extensive area of land adapted 

 to cultivation is that on the Kenai Peninsula, and, 

 extending across Cook Inlet, is continued up the Sus- 

 itna River. This region, on account of its position 

 relative to ocean currents, partakes more of the climatic 

 characteristics of the interior, although still somewhat 

 modified. 



The accompanying map shows regions where some 

 attempts have been made in gardening, from which defi- 

 nite reports have been secured. From the data at hand 

 it seems probable that the local supplies of hardy vege- 

 tables might be produced nearer at hand than the 

 Puget Sound. This is undoubtedly true of many parts 

 of the country, where the production need be limited 



2535. Alaska. 



only by the demand for such supplies and the ability 

 to secure arable lands at a cost that will permit the 

 producer to compete with the Sound country. For 

 some time certain economic features will enter into the 

 subject of extensive horticulture. Among these are the 

 high price of labor, the standard being at present deter- 

 mined by the wages paid for gold-mining, the question 

 of transportation, and the rather limited markets. 



As it exists at the present tune, horticulture in 

 Alaska is of a very primitive type. A few gardens here 

 and there, with perhaps a row of berries along the side 

 and an occasional fruit-tree, represent nearly all that 

 is done along this line. Near all the more important 

 towns are market-gardens of considerable importance, 

 but elsewhere only small areas are cultivated. 



It has been said that during the Russian occupancy 

 of the country, many attempts were made to cultivate 

 gardens and fields, but the data are often so meager and 

 contradictory as to throw doubt upon the sincerity of 

 the endeavor. In the accompanying account, it is 

 desired to place on record some of the horticultural 

 achievements as gathered from reports from gardeners 

 in many places, the personal observations of the writer 

 during two seasons in the country, and the results of 



experiments conducted at experiment stations which 

 have been maintained by the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture for ten or more years at Sitka, 

 Fairbanks, Rampart, Copper Center, Kenai, and 

 Kodiak. At all these places trials have been conducted 

 of all the more important vegetables, and at Sitka of a 

 considerable number of fruits and berries, as well as 

 various ornamentals. 



The great abundance, both in kind and quantity, of 

 native fruits, especially berries, has doubtless con- 

 tributed to the delay in the attempted introduction 

 and cultivation of other sorts. Some early effort was 

 made in this line, as is shown by the presence at Sitka 

 of a number of old apple trees, remnants of the Rus- 

 sian days, which bear a very inferior fruit. A few young 

 bearing trees of unknown variety are grown at the same 

 place. At Wrangell, there were in 1898 apple trees of 

 what were thought to be the Red June variety in bear- 

 ing, and young thriv- 

 ing trees are known 

 at Juneau and Met- 

 lakahtla. The moun- 

 tain-ash (Sorbus satn- 

 bucifolia) is grown as 

 an ornamental tree. 

 Attempts have been 

 made at a number of 

 places to cultivate 

 some of the indigen- 

 ous fruits, and the 

 dewberry or "kneshe- 

 neka" (Rubus stella- 

 tus), wild currants 

 (Ribes rubrum and R. 

 bracteoswri) , and the 

 strawberry (Fragaria 

 chiloensis) have all 

 been domesticated, 

 and their fruit is fully 

 equal, if not superior, 

 to the wild product. 



At the Sitka Sta- 

 tion, a number of 

 apple trees, repre- 

 senting thirty or 

 more varieties of 

 crab, Russian, and 

 other early apples, 

 plum trees, and 

 cherry trees have 

 been under observa- 

 tion in the nurseries 



for several years. In 1911, five varieties bore mature 

 fruit. These varieties were Yellow Transparent, Rasp- 

 berry, Sylvan Sweet, Whitney, and Hyslop. In 1915 

 the first three varieties and Tetofsky ripened fruit. 

 Among several varieties of cherries tested, Early Rich- 

 mond has done the best and it has borne a light crop 

 for several years. Of the plums planted, all have 

 bloomed profusely, but none has as yet borne any 

 fruit. The small bush-fruits thrive well over southeast- 

 ern Alaska and the currant and raspberry have been 

 successfully grown in the interior. Currants, both red 

 and black, are indigenous to Alaska, and many of the 

 improved varieties have been successfully introduced 

 and distributed by the stations. Gooseberries also do 

 well along the coast region, and they do not seem as 

 subject to mildew as when grown elsewhere. White- 

 smith, Columbus, Industry, Triumph, and Champion 

 are varieties of gooseberry that have been successfully 

 grown at the Sitka Station. Among the cultivated 

 raspberries, Cuthbert does the best of any thus far 

 tested. The fruit produced is large and well flavored, 

 and the bushes are quite hardy. It has a long fruiting 

 period, being in bearing at Sitka from August to Octo- 

 ber. Experiments with blackberries, dewberries, logan- 



