ALASKA. 55 



Meteorological observations were made at a number of places, as here- 

 tofore, in cooperation with the Weather Bureau of this Department. 

 Soil and temperature records were made at Sitka, Kenai, Eagle, Fort 

 Yukon, and Rampart. During the year a two-story barn, 25 by 50 

 feet, has been built on the station farm at Sitka, to furnish stable room 

 for oxen and storage for hay and implements. A four-room cottage, 

 li stories high, was also erected here for the use of the assistant. On 

 Castle Hill, the site of the station building, a water tank has been 

 built to provide a water supply and fire protection for the building. 

 During the last few weeks of the year the special agent in charge of 

 the Alaska stations made a trip of inspection to the Kenai Station and 

 later a similar trip to the reservation at Rampart. 



INCOME. 



The appropriation for the Alaska investigations for the fiscal year 

 ended June 30, 1901, was $12,000. 



PUBLICATIONS. 



The fifth report on the investigations in Alaska, giving a detailed 

 account of the operations during the year 1901, has been prepared by 

 the special agent in charge of Alaska investigations, and is given on 

 pages 239-359 of this bulletin. 



GENERAL OUTLOOK. 



At the Sitka Station, winter rye, spring wheat, barley, oats, and 

 buckwheat matured both in 1900 and in 1901. Seaweed proved to be 

 an excellent manure, especially for potatoes, and fish guano manufac- 

 tured at Killisnoo, Alaska, was also effective as a fertilizer. Repeated 

 tests of new ground have shown that it is very generally unproductive, 

 requiring two or three years of thorough cultivation to make it pro- 

 ductive. 



At Kenai experiments with grains and vegetables similar to those at 

 Sitka were partly successful. Early varieties matured, but late varie- 

 ties were only partly matured when frost came. About 6 tons of hay 

 were cut and successfully cured on natural meadows at a distance- of 

 about 6 miles from the station. The improvements at this place now 

 include a good 2-story log house and about 8 acres of cleared land. 

 Clearing is not very difficult in this locality, nor is the land so difficult 

 to subdue as in other places. 



In the summer of 1900 a reservation of 320 acres for experimental 

 purposes was made at Rampart, on the Yukon River, and work was 

 begun on this reservation in August of the same year. Winter rye 



