BULLETIN OF THE 



No. 50 



Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry, Wm. A. Taylor, Chief 

 January 8, 1914. 



POSSIBLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN 



ALASKA. 



By Levi Chtjbbuck, Agriculturist, Office of Farm Management. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Two seasons were spent in the investigation of Alaskan agri- 

 cultural possibilities. During the first season the south-coast area 

 was studied. The second season's work included the Yukon drain- 

 age and points on the south coast, some of which had been visited 

 on the former trip. 



WHAT THE TOURISTS SEE ON THE SOUTH COAST. 



The route from Seattle is by a winding, narrow course, over 

 still waters, through archipelagos of mountain islands that front 

 the mainland all the way from Puget Sound to Skagway. The 

 1,000-mile journey is a boat ricle through mountain canyons. The 

 mountains on both mainland and islands are snow capped, and com- 

 ing from the snow fields are numerous waterfalls that are empha- 

 sized by the dark cloak of spruce that drapes the land from the 

 water's edge to snow line. 



The mountains increase in height and consequently in extent of 

 snow fields toward the north. The tourist naturally concludes that 

 this is the result of the higher latitude. After four or five days' 

 travel northward glaciers are seen on the sides of the mountains. 

 When near Juneau the steamer may turn from its course and run 

 into Taku Inlet, to give the passengers a near view of a glacier that 

 reaches tidewater and is discharging icebergs into the sea. 



With many of the tourists Juneau, the capital of Alaska, or Skag- 

 way, 100 miles farther north and the end of navigation by this route, 

 is as far as they go, possibly returning to Seattle on the same boat. 

 If this is so, all they have seen of Alaska is a 400-mile stretch of 

 channel between the forest-covered mountains that constitute the 

 100-mile wide strip of southeastern Alaska. If they go on to Seward, 

 the end of the steamer run, with calls at Cordova and Valdez, trav- 

 eling nearly 1,000 miles farther along the south coast of Alaska to 

 the westward, they will see magnificent views of other mountains, 

 16470°— Bull. 50—14 1 



