342 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



SURVEYING LANDS. 



The first and indeed the most essential step in the development of 

 agriculture in Alaska is the surveying of the public lands. At present 

 no one can get title to farming land in Alaska except by the use of 

 soldiers' additional homestead scrip, and this costs more than the aver- 

 age settler can afford to pay. But when obtained it does not repre- 

 sent more than a small part of the total cost. The settler must at 

 present pay the cost of the survey. This cost is excessive. United 

 States deputy surveyors charge $15 to $20 a day, besides traveling 

 expenses and other incidentals. So that by the time one gets title to 

 a farm in Alaska it will have cost him as much as he can buy good 

 improved land for in the States. As long as this condition prevails, 

 Alaska can not be settled and agriculture can not be developed. 



COOPERATIVE EXPERIMENTS ON WOOD ISLAND. 



I have made an arrangement with the superintendent of the Baptist 

 Orphanage on Wood Island, the reverend Mr. Curtis P. Coe, whereby 

 he will cooperate with the experiment station in carrying out certain 

 experiments. The station is to furnish him with the necessary imple- 

 ments, seeds, and work animals. He will then defray all of the 

 expenses for the work and use land which belongs to the mission. A 

 series of experiments have been planned for next year along the line 

 of the growing of forage an4 grain crops. 



EXPERIMENT STATION IN THE COPPER RIVER COUNTRY. 



The information herewith submitted concerning the Copper River 

 country indicates that this extensive region is perhaps the most favor- 

 able locality for agriculture in all Alaska. 1 recommend that a station 

 be established there next summer. To do this, however, means the 

 hiring of a competent assistant, the building of a house and barn, the 

 importation of oxen or horses, and also of farming implements. These 

 are the necessary equipments. The hiring of labor will be additional. 

 At the least calculation all this will cost about $5,000 for the first }^ear. 

 The transportation of supplies from Valdez to the the interior is very 

 expensive. Last summer it cost 50 cents per pound for transportation 

 of supplies from salt water to Copper Center, 103 miles, and it will 

 cost relatively more for greater distances. If my recommendation 

 meets with approval and a station is established there, we should, of 

 course, own the pack animals and transport the supplies ourselves. 



PLANS FOR FUTURE WORK. 



During the coming year it is essential that the Rampart Station 

 should be equipped with the necessary implements for work. For 

 that station a team of horses is needed, a wagon, two plows, a disk 



