314 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



that did not suffer from the drought this season. These are being harvested at this 

 writing, and are of fair size and good quality, being well ripened and yielding about 

 100 bushels per acre. 



The next piece consisted of 3? acres of similar land; that is, the surface conditions 

 were the same as on the previous piece, but the soil was much heavier and had a 

 tendency to "bake" after it was plowed. Two acres of this piece were planted to 

 Early Ohio potatoes on May 30, and the balance sowed to barley the same day. 

 Both barley and potatoes came up weak and spindling. The potatoes were harvested 

 September 28. They were rather small, but thoroughly ripe and of good quality, 

 and yielded 100 bushels from the 2 acres. 



The barley was eaten off about the middle, of July by horses that broke into the 

 lot, which proved to be a benefit to the crop. When the rains commenced in the 

 fore part of August the barley started a new growth, so that by September 24 we cut 

 it for hay. It was about 2\ feet high, well headed out, and the berry was fairly well 

 filled. The straw was juicy and hard to cure. 



Our next attempt was to clear up an old slashing where the greater part of the 

 timber was cut off in 1897 and 1898. The fire had swept through it and killed the 

 remaining trees, some of which had already tumbled over. We commenced work on 

 this piece May 31. It was a great undertaking to put in a crop that late in the season 

 under these circumstances; but by June 15, we had 8 acres planted and June 20 we 

 did our last seeding. It consisted of 2 acres of turnips, one-half acre ruta-bagas, and 

 \\ acres of barley. The varieties of potatoes planted in this place were Early Ohio, 

 Early York, and Milwaukee. The Milwaukee did not get quite ripe on this piece, 

 but were of good market size and of good quality. The Early Ohio and Early York 

 were about ripe, as the vines were quite yellow October 1. The last planting, June 15, 

 made the most vigorous growth of vines and had also the finest tubers. We have 

 only dug a few in this piece, but the estimated yield is 1,000 bushels. The quality is 

 first class and the potatoes are of good market size. Some very large. If the space 

 that is occupied by the stumps was^deducted from the 8 acres, they w T ould easily go 

 150 bushels to the acre. The turnips made a fine growth. We commenced pulling 

 them for market September 6 and have plenty of them on hand yet. The ruta-bagas 

 are small, although there are some of marketable size. They should be sown earlier 

 in order to insure a full crop. The barley did exceptionally well, being 4 feet high, 

 well headed, and in blossom when we cut it for hay, September 24. 



On August 20 we seeded 2 acres of this same kind of land to fall wheat and 2 acres 

 to rye, and seeded all 4 acres to timothy and alsike clover, all of which has made a 

 vigorous growth. I have just completed an irrigating ditch to cover this tract of 16 

 acres, so that we shall be in better shape next year to raise a crop, if the season hap- 

 pens to be dry again. We seeded about 20 acres of this old slashing to timothy and 

 clover a year ago last May, or, in other words, we scattered the seed among the logs 

 and brush; the result is a fine stand of tame grass. 



FKUIT. 



I brought 30 fruit trees with me from Wisconsin last April, consisting of the follow- 

 ing kinds: Twelve apple trees, 12 plum trees, and 6 Early Richmond cherry trees. 

 The apple trees consisted of 6 Duchess of Oldenburg and 6 Transparent, and the plums 

 of the Wild Goose and Wolf. They were shipped to me in Wisconsin in December, 

 and from there forwarded to Skagway in April, and were in very poor condition on 

 their arrival here. The result is that only 17 out of 30 lived. The Duchess are all 

 alive, having made a healthy growth, and ripened their wood in August. Of the 

 Transparents 4 lived, made a fair growth, and ripened their wood. The Wild Goose 

 are all alive and made an enormous growth, but the wood is not ripened off at this 

 writing. Most of the Wolf were virtually dead before they left the nursery, but one 

 of them lived and made a good growth. The cherry trees from the nursery all died, 



