ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



the market gardeners of the vicinity. 

 If it were not for this, the financial side 

 would show up better than it does. 

 Nearly everyone grows potatoes, and the 

 number of tons which are imported from 

 the Puget Sound country has been ma- 

 terially reduced by the growing of the 

 native product; yet it is estimated that 

 not less than 500 tons were imported for 

 use at Fairbanks and the camps on the 

 various creeks in that region during the 

 past season. This being the case, it is 

 not considered that the station entered 

 into competition with potato growers. 

 Last year some 30 tons of potatoes were 

 raised on nearly seven acres of land. 

 This year more than a thousand bushels 

 were grown on five acres, which shows 

 an average yield of 200 bushels per acre. 

 Aside from growing a crop for market- 

 ing, many different varieties were 

 planted in order to determine which of 

 them are the best suited for that region. 



"The crop has not been sold at this 

 writing, and the price will be low com- 

 pared with the price of former years, but 

 the crop from these five acres may sell 

 for at least $2,000, or at a rate of $400 

 per acre, which will afford a good profit. 

 It is a question whether the potato mar- 

 ket will continue to be profitable, how- 

 ever. The population gradually dimin- 

 ishes as the placer ground is worked 

 out, and the homesteaders are gradu- 

 ally extending the area in potatoes. The 

 time will come when the price of the 

 native-grown potato will be so low that 

 there will be no profit in it. 



"In this connection it is well to call 

 attention to the fact that potatoes grown 

 on lowlands, as a consequence suffer 

 from early frosts and seldom mature 

 normally. They are therefore soft and 

 watery when cooked, and when placed on 

 the market they ruin the reputation of 

 the Alaska-grown potato. Ranchers 

 should transfer their potato growing to 

 southern slopes of the low hills. There 

 they will grow a potato of better qual- 

 ity which will not be discredited in the 

 market. 



"Attention is again called to the fact 

 that there is a great difference between 

 varieties of potatoes. The early maturing 



sorts are better suited to this country 

 than the late potatoes. Only early vari- 

 eties should be grown, and of the early 

 varieties the best cookers should be se- 

 lected for culture. If these points were 

 heeded, the consumer would not discrimi- 

 nate against the native potato in favor 

 of the outside product as is now the 

 case. 



"It is desired to emphasize once more 

 that the results of sprouting the seed 

 before planting, which have been .attained 

 at both the Rampart and Sitka stations, 

 are greatly in favor of this practice. It 

 is not practicable to sprout the seed when 

 several acres are to be planted — not un- 

 less special provisions are made for so 

 doing. 



Cabbage 



"Next to potatoes cabbage is the most 

 important garden vegetable. Nearly every 

 settler aims to raise a few heads, and 

 in the towns cabbage is an important 

 market vegetable. It is always a lead- 

 ing crop with professional market gar- 

 deners. However, since land is abundant 

 and town dwellers quite generally cul- 

 tivate part of their lots, householders 

 who have the time and inclination very 

 generally raise at least a portion of the 

 cabbage as well as other vegetables which 

 they consume. Seed was sown March 27 

 of all the varieties mentioned below and 

 the plants transferred to cold frames 

 April IS. On May 27. 50 plants of each 

 variety were set in the field. The per- 

 centage of marketable heads of each vari- 

 ety was as follows: 



Percentage of marketalile heads of cab- 

 hage -produced in 1912. Percent 



Copenhagen Market 92 



Danish Ball Head 56 



Dark Red Stonehead 90 



Early Baseball 86 



Eaily .Jersey Wakefield 94 



Early Winningstadt 82 



Holstein 82 



Large Late Drumhead 80 



Large Late Flat Dutch 88 



Market Gardener Flat Dutch 88 



Savoy 50 



"The Early Wakefield has, all things 

 considered, been the most satisfactory 

 variety so far tried. It stands the test 

 year after year. It is a sure header, and 



