AGRICULTURAL CAPACITY OF ALASKA 



677 



rhubarb, spinach, rutabaga turnip, and 

 also several of the condiments, mint, sage, 

 dill, etc. All of these can be grown and 

 are grown as far up as the Arctic Circle 

 and beyond. Judge F. E. Howard of 

 Coldfoot, Alaska, 60 miles north of the 

 Arctic Circle, has grown potatoes, cab- 

 bage, cauliflower, rhubarb, and even cu- 

 cumbers with success out of doors in 

 that latitude. That all of these things 

 can be grown, and usually with marked 

 success, can no longer be disputed. They 

 have been and are grown every year in 

 thousands of little garden patches scat- 

 tered widely over the territory. This is 

 not saying that they can be grown with 

 equal success in all places, and in all con- 

 ditions, for on the point the elevation, 

 soil, rainfall, and local conditions as to 

 climate are important factors. Nor do I 

 say that there is not now and then a cold 

 summer in which only the hardiest of 

 these things make satisfactory growth. 

 But under normal conditions and with 

 good culture all of these vegetables are 

 grown successfully even beyond the 

 Arctic Circle. 



Turning from the vegetables to grains 

 and forage plants, we can point to the 

 fact that at our northernmost experi- 

 ment station, the one at Rampart, in the 

 Yukon Valley, in latitude 65 ° 30', we have 

 never failed to mature barley and oats in 

 the most unfavorable seasons, and, in nor- 

 mal years we have also matured winter 

 wheat and winter rye, spring wheat, 

 spring rye, and buckwheat. Clearing 

 and preparation of land began there in 

 1900, and in 1901 we harvested the first 

 half an acre of ripe barley and oats. As 

 years have passed, the clearing has been 

 extended, but the results have been 

 equally gratifying with each succeeding 

 year. Barley and oats of early and 

 medium maturing varieties have always 

 matured. Winter rye and winter wheat, 

 and even winter barley, have matured at 

 that station whenever the snowfall was 

 deep enough to protect the grains from 

 the low winter temperatures — that is to 

 say, when these grains were covered 

 with 30 inches or more of snow during 

 the coldest period. That snow is the 



protecting agent is proved by the fact 

 that whenever it is blown off on exposed 

 hill sides the grain is winter killed, but 

 wherever it is piled up in drifts or re- 

 mains at the normal depth the grain 

 comes through the winter in fine condi- 

 tion and matures during the latter half 

 of August. If these results can be ob- 

 tained at 65 ° 30' north, they can be at- 

 tained at hundreds of other places south 

 of that latitude. Moreover, these re- 

 sults will be bettered. We have so far 

 been compelled to use seed of plants and 

 crops grown elsewhere in regions differ- 

 ing materially from Alaska conditions. 

 We shall in the near future, by selection 

 and breeding, be able to develop varieties 

 which shall be better suited to Alaska 

 than anything we now have, and it is 

 therefore certain that the results will be 

 improved upon. 



So much for the cultivated crops 

 which we know to a certainty can be 

 grown. In addition to that, forage crops 

 for live stock of many species can be suc- 

 cessfully grown. Timothy springs up as 

 a volunteer crop along every trail where 

 hay is carried. We have also grown, ait 

 the experiment stations, meadow oat 

 grass, meadow fescue, velvet grass,, 

 smooth brome grass, Kentucky blue- 

 grass, and several legumes. We can grow 

 field peas, vetches, white clover, and 

 alsike clover. These forage plants are 

 not now natives of the country, but they 

 can be made to thrive and furnish feed 

 for livestock on many a mountain side 

 which now produces only plants worth- 

 less for feed. But there are also a large 

 number of nutritious grasses, native to 

 the country, which in many places cover 

 large areas with lush growth, on which 

 live stock do well. We depend at present 

 on the native grasses for feed for the 

 cattle and horses at the various stations. 



We have started a cattle-breeding 

 station on the island of Kadiak. The 

 cattle, pure-bred Galloways, will be fed 

 and are fed exclusively on Alaska- 

 grown feed. The)' thrive well on this 

 feed and there is no reason why 

 large herds of cattle and sheep cannot 

 be successful!}' maintained at many 



