ALASKA EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 269 



ing. Owing to the removal of the moss which enabled the sun to 

 reach the surface of the earth, and doubtless aided also by the tearing 

 up of the roots, the soil had thawed out to a depth of 18 inches by the 

 time the rye was seeded; but in spite of the snow covering, the ground 

 nevertheless froze again during the winter clear down to the old ice. 



On May 13, 1901, the snow melted from the plats, and the rye 

 appeared green and in perfect condition. The plants tillered abundantly, 

 sending out from 10 to 18 shoots each. It grew very rapidly. On 

 June 23 it was 2 feet high, with heads showing here and there. On 

 July 20 average stalks measured 5 feet 4 inches high. At that date 

 the heads were filling rapidly. On the night of July 31, there was 

 a light frost, sufficient, however, to kill potato tops and other tender 

 vegetation. But the rye and in fact nearly all of the grains were 

 not injured. The grain was then in the dough state and almost ready 

 to cut. Most of it was cut on August 3. When I was at the station 

 August 13, some of it which had not been cut was perfectly ripe, and 

 it had a good quality of grain. 



This then proves that winter rye can be grown in that latitude. Rye 

 is the principal breadstuff in all northern latitudes. Northern people 

 prefer it to wheat, and it is probable that the future farmers of Alaska 

 will likewise make rye a principal crop. 



It should be noted also that the past winter registered the coldest 

 weather in the interior that the proverbial "oldest inhabitant" has 

 ever known. The test is, therefore, as severe as it is likely to be at 

 any future time. 



SPRING GRAIN. 



Patches of several varieties of spring grain were sown in the latter 

 part of May. But I have at this writing received no word from the 

 Yukon since I left the station on August 13 as to whether they matured 

 or not. At that date the barley and the rye were the only grains 

 which had matured. Several other kinds had fully formed grains, and 

 would soon begin to ripen, but having no information concerning their 

 later development I can note only their growth and condition up to 

 the date of my visit. The spring grains seeded were as follows: 



Spring rye. — A plat was seeded May 21. B}^ July 7 the plants had 

 reached a height of 18 inches and were showing heads. On July 31 

 the stalks were 5 feet high and the grain two- thirds formed. On 

 August 13 the grain was fully formed, but still green, and in the soft 

 dough. 



On June 5 another plat of spring rye was seeded. The growth was 

 rapid but the stand thin, and the plants did not tiller. July 10 the 

 stalks averaged 20 inches and the heads were showing. July 31 the 

 stalks were 4 feet 7 inches high and the grain forming. August 13 

 the grain was rather more than half grown. 



