ALASKA 



I . 



spreads its leaves flat on the ground. The 

 leaf stems are not upright as in many 

 varieties, and the maggots, therefore, do 

 not follow the stems to the ground at 

 the base of the plant; they are already 

 on the ground. If this is not the correct 

 explanation, it is at least plausible. The 

 root maggots are not troublesome at 

 Sitka, and therefore there has been no 

 opportunity to experiment with remedies. 



Carrots 



"On May 15 a row ir>0 feet long was 

 sowed to each of the following varieties 

 of carrots. They were all ready for mar- 

 ket on October 1, although they were not 

 dug until some time later. In point of 

 yield they rank in the order mentioned: 

 Stump Rooted, 181 pounds; Yellow Dan- 

 vers, 138 pounds: Chantenay, 117 pounds: 

 French Forcing, 113 pounds: and Early 

 Scarlet, 110 pounds. 



"Carrots are also a neglected vegetable. 

 They can be grown successfully almost 

 anywhere in Alaska, but they require a 

 well drained soil, and the richer the 

 ground the better the crop. 



Beets 



"But one variety of beet was grown 

 last season, namely. Extra Early Egyp- 

 tian. The seed was sown on May 15 and 

 produced medium sized roots of good qual- 

 ity by September 15. 



Swiss Chard 



"Swiss chard is a kind of beet grown 

 for its leaves. The stems are crisp and 

 palatable and used as a salad. It does 

 well in Alaska. The seed was sown on 

 May 15. September 15 it was ready for 

 use; was 18 inches high and of good qual- 

 ity. 



Celerj 



"Three varieties of celery were grown 

 on a very small scale here. They were 

 Giant Golden Heart. Golden Self-blanch- 

 ing, and Rose Ribbed. They rank in the 

 order given. 



"Celery can be grown with great suc- 

 cess in Alaska, provided conditions are 

 right. In a poor soil poorly drained, it 

 amounts to nothing. The seeds should 

 be sown in flats or boxes in the house, 

 greenhouse, or cold frame in the latter 



part of March. When the plants are an 

 inch high or less, they should be trans- 

 planted in rich soil under glass about four 

 inches apart, and about the beginning of 

 June they can be set in the open ground. 

 "Celery is always planted close to- 

 gether because it facilitates the blanching 

 of the stems and a large number of plants 

 can be grown on a very small area. A bed 

 may thus be prepared of light, that is to 

 say, more or less sandy soil in which 

 five or six inches of decomposed manure 

 has been dug in and thoroughly mixed 

 with the soil. Set the plants in this bed 

 six inches apart each way for the smaller 

 varieties and seven or eight inches apart 

 for the larger varieties. Inclose the bed 

 with boards which are kept as high as 

 the top growth. The so-called self-blanch- 

 ing varieties will blanch in the partial 

 darkness caused by the dense growth of 

 leaves. Other varieties can be blanched 

 by filling in soil between the plants, and 

 they will be ready for market as soon as 

 they are large enough to use, which may 

 be the latter part of July if the plants 

 are started early. 



"Celery grows better in the interior 

 than in the coast regions, because the 

 summers are warmer, and all vegetation 

 grows rapidly. The writer has never 

 seen or tasted better celery than that 

 grown by market gardeners at Fairbanks. 



Celeriac 



"Celeriac is a variety of celery. It de- 

 velops a large root like a turnip or ruta- 

 baga, and it is grown for the root. It is 

 rarely cultivated in America except in 

 German settlements, but it is a most de- 

 licious vegetable which can be used 

 either raw as a salad or better still sliced 

 and boiled in soups and other dishes. 

 The plants are raised like celery plants 

 and planted out 15 to IS inches apart in 

 the row in rich soil. 



"Both celery and celeriac require a 

 moderately dry soil. They are failures 

 wherever their roots are continually wet 



Salsify 



"Commonly known as oyster plant from 

 the fancy that its root resembles the oys- 

 ter in flavor. Salsify has not succeeded 



