10 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



well at the Sitka Station. The soil is 

 too wet. It requires a light, loamy, well- 

 drained land for its best growth, but it 

 can be grown in Alaska and will add a 

 variety to the available vegetable dishes. 



"One sort, known as the Thick Rooted, 

 was grown the past season. The seed 

 was sown in the open on May 16 and 

 produced medium sized roots by Octo- 

 ber 1. 



Lettuce 



"Nine varieties were grown on a very 

 small scale the past season. The seed 

 was sown in the open May 15, and when 

 the plants were up they were thinned 

 to a stand of six inches apart in the row. 

 The varieties grown were valued for ear- 

 liness, quality, size, and solidity of head 

 in the following order: Tennis Ball 

 (black seeded). Giant Crystal Head. Cali- 

 fornia Cream Butter, Rheingold, Butter- 

 cup, Iceberg, Beacon, Maximum, and 

 American Gathering. 



"Lettuce is easily grown everywhere in 

 Alaska, and it is a favorite salad with 

 everyone. In passing through the coun- 

 try one sees at the isolated prospector's 

 cabin, as well as at the moi-e comfortable 

 homes in town, a little patch of each of 

 three vegetables. They are turnips, let- 

 tuce, and radishes, the two latter always 

 grown on a very small scale, perhaps con- 

 fined to a single square yard. The aver- 

 age cultivator takes no pains with his 

 garden. He sows the seed thickly and 

 cuts the plants when they are largei 

 enough to use. This is one way of doing 

 it. but a poor way. Lettuce can be had 

 throughout the summer by making sev- 

 eral seedings, say once in four weeks. 

 from April to July. Then the best re- 

 sults are obtained by sowing the seed in 

 shallow boxes, and when the plants are 

 two inches high set them in rows some 

 six inches apart on rich soil. Those vari- 

 eties which produce a solid head are to 

 be preferred, but they are not as early 

 as those which have a loose head. Solid 

 headed lettuce sown in June or the begin- 

 ning of July will be ready for use in Sep- 

 tember, and the heads can be kept until 

 quite late in the winter in a dry, frost- 

 proof cellar. 



Parsley 



"Parsley is one of the few greens which 

 is grown for the flavor it imparts to 

 dishes, and also for decorating dishes. 

 There should be at least a short row of 

 parsley in every garden. It is sown in 

 the open in early spring. The plants 

 should be thinned if they are too thick. 

 The seed takes a long time to germinate, 

 and it loses its vitality very soon, hence 

 old seed should never be used. There 

 are but few varieties; Extra Curled is 

 the one most commonly grown. There 

 is also a root parsley with plain leaves, 

 the roots of which are used in soups, and 

 with other vegetables, like celeriac. 



Spinach 



"Round Viroflay and Long Season were 

 successfully grown at the Sitka Station 

 the last season. Spinach does not succeed 

 everywhere. It is a little particular about 

 the soil. The soil should be well drained. 

 In a wet soil it runs to seed almost at 

 once without producing leaves. Sow it 

 the middle of May. 



Radishes 



"A 50-foot row was seeded of each of 

 the three following varieties. They all 

 did well, and they are valued in the order 

 named: Early Scarlet Turnip, French 

 Breakfast, Deep Scarlet Olive-Shaped. 

 It is superfluous to say anything here 

 about the culture and use of radishes. 

 Everyone knows and appreciates them." 



FRUIT TREES 



Apples 



The following varieties of apples are 

 grown in the small test orchard at the 

 Sitka Experiment Station. It will be 

 noticed that most of them are crabs or 

 crab hybrids. These trees were planted 

 in 1903, except those which have been 

 planted to replace others that have died. 

 The}' were, therefore, nine years old the 

 past season and old enough to bear fruit. 

 In 1911 the following varieties fruited: 

 Raspberry (crab). Yellow Transparent 

 (crab), Hyslop (crab), Whitney (crab), 

 and Sylvan Sweet (crab). 



The past year the only varieties which 

 set fruit were Whitney, Tetofsky, Hyslop, 



