REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. LXXI 



vegetables and flowers, and a considerable number give them fairly good care. Near 



the town men were engaged in making hay on a small tract, and, with the weather 

 prevailing at the time of my visit, it was quite practicable to dry the hay in the field. 

 Numerous gardens containing lettuce, radishes, cabbage, peas, potatoes, and the more 

 hardy vegetables generally were to he seen at the various places where 1 landed along 

 the way. These gardens were for the most part well cared for and usually an object 

 of pride. The quality of the vegetables raised was said to be excellent, and failures 

 were few with persons who understood the best methods. At Kenai the gardens of 

 the natives presented an especially well-cared-for and thrifty appearance. In many 

 places the natives have come to appreciate the value of vegetable food in improv- 

 ing their diet, and the variety which a garden of fresh vegetables lends to the food 

 of the newer residents of Alaska is much appreciated by them. Flowerbeds of sweet 

 peas, peonies, and a number of other kinds of plants were not uncommon. 



The seed for planting these gardens and the directions and encouragement for 

 maintaining them have come very largely from the special agent in charge of the 

 Alaska station and his superintendents. Everywhere I went along the coast region 

 I found that the work of the Alaska stations was well known and usually very favor- 

 ably regarded at present, although many admitted that they at first viewed the 

 undertaking with much skepticism. Hardly a man was addressed who did not know 

 about Professor Georgeson and his work. This is the more remarkable, and stronger 

 evidence of the interest which has been aroused, w T hen it is considered that there are 

 practically no newspapers in Alaska having more than a local circulation, that no 

 publications except Congressional reports have been issued, and that, owing to the 

 difficulties of transportation, people do not get about as much as they do in the States. 

 The extent to which information has been diffused and the confidence of the people 

 won speak much for the vigor and industry with w T hich the work has been prose- 

 cuted. The propaganda has met with a good measure of success, and the work now 

 has many strong friends, particularly in the western coast region, where the condi- 

 tions are the most suitable for agriculture. 



I was impressed with the many difficulties which our agent has had to meet in 

 carrying on his work under such pioneer conditions at a number of points widely 

 separated. Transportation is entirely by water and is slow, mails are infrequent, the 

 need for materials of various kinds must be anticipated several months, labor of the 

 right kind for our work is very difficult to procure, the results must be accomplished 

 in a short summer season, and a thousand and one little annoyances arise to hinder 

 and discourage the undertaking. It is only through untiring energy and enthusiasm 

 for the work and the exercise of the strictest economy that Professor Georgeson has 

 been able to make the good showing that he has for the time and money he has had 

 at his disposal. I do not hesitate to say that, despite these difficulties and the higher 

 prices to be met, few if any of our experiment stations in the early years of their 

 existence have been able to make a better showing for the money expended, in the 

 way of buildings, permanent improvements to the land, and amount of experimental 

 work performed, than the Alaskan stations do to-day, and the interest and confidence 

 which have been aroused by the stations are worthy of any station in the newer 

 States. 



Now that such favorable results have been obtained with vegetable growing and 

 some of the cereals, I am of opinion that work might be undertaken with animals to 

 show the extent to which feed for them can be profitably or economically grown in 

 Alaska. Fresh meat is scarce and dear. It is only occasionally that meat can be 

 obtained to the west of Sitka. With small animals, like poultry, useful work might 

 be done in showing what feeds can be grown for them and how they can best be 

 cared for. Poultry raising would be the simplest beginning in animal production and 

 might lay the foundation for work with larger animals. The hog is not commonly 

 found, but summer pasturage for hogs could surely be raised, and it seems very r^rob- 



