ALASKA EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 275 



known as Russian Mission, missionaries of the Russian Church being 

 established here. And still nearer the mouth of the river, in the tree- 

 less region, is the settlement of Andreaoffski, a place which is chiefly 

 of importance because it affords winter quarters for the river boats, 

 and the storehouses belonging to the commercial companies are located 

 here. The whole distance from Dawson to St. Michael is nearly 1,500 

 miles. Besides the places named, there are many small Indian villages, 

 and during the summer many temporary fishing camps are established 

 along the river. 



The transportation on the river is carried on by means of a number 

 of steamers, some of which are large and powerful boats with first- 

 class accommodations for passengers in every respect. These boats 

 consume an immense amount of fuel, as it takes great power to propel 

 them against the current. They have sometimes two or three barges 

 in tow. Wood is the principal fuel used, though coal is used to some 

 extent and its use will probably increase with the development of the 

 coal mines along the river. The boat is tied to the bank, a gang-plank 

 thrown ashore, and a number of men carry the wood aboard on their 

 shoulders. There is considerable coal mined on the lower Yukon, 

 which is used for supplying steamers (PL XIX, fig. 2). 



A telegraph line has been built by the War Department from St. 

 Michael to Fort Gibbon. 



FARMING AT DAWSON. 



At Dawson I found several persons engaged in raising produce for 

 the city market. The most extensive farmers at that place are two 

 brothers named Morgan. They are American citizens who have tried 

 their luck at prospecting; but although they were fairly success- 

 ful they prefer farming. Mr. J. A. Morgan, one of these broth- 

 ers, informed me that he had rented 110 acres of land from the Cana- 

 dian Government on the west side of the river just across from the 

 city for a rental of 50 cents an acre a year. He has a lease for ten 

 years, with the privilege of buying at the end of that time. The price 

 of land was not to be fixed, however, until the expiration of the lease. 

 He grows vegetables on a rather extensive scale, confining himself to 

 the standard crops, such as potatoes, cabbages, cauliflowers, turnips, 

 radishes, and lettuce. He also grows grain for hay. This year he 

 had 40 acres in oats. These oats were seeded on May 20 and cut for 

 hay early in August, at which time they were almost ripe. It is more 

 profitable to cut the grain for hay than to let it mature. The past 

 season grain and hay sold exactly at the same price per pound, namely, 

 6£ cents, or $130 a ton. This was Mr. Morgan's first year and, there- 

 fore, he did not have all the land in condition for cropping. He was 

 clearing and preparing the rest of the farm for crops the coming sea- 



