16 



BULLETIN 50, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



I bought a team of horses to do my plowing, expecting that I would get some- 

 thing for the team to do during the winter, even if only enough for horse feed, 

 but was compelled to sell them about a week ago for half what I had paid, as 

 I couldn't get work for them to do. Horse feed at $70 a ton will soon eat up 

 a team. I do not know that I will be able to accomplish very much on my place 

 this summer, as I am practically out of funds and am compelled to get work 

 elsewhere to earn a little money. By that time the season will be far advanced, 

 and it will probably be too far to get in any crop at the right time. 



Juneau, the capital, although located on rather than at the foot 

 of the mountains, has many private flower and vegetable gardens, a 

 number of market gardens, and a dairy of 10 to 15 cows. Twelve to 

 fifteen miles out from the town there is a group of homesteads. On 

 one of these homesteads Mr. Thomas Kimdson (fig. 5) maintains a 



Fig. 6. — Native-grass sward, showing first breaking and Jerseys grazing, J. J. Ratu"s farm, 

 Haines, Alaska, May 29, 1911. 



herd of 50 cattle and sells 30 to 40 pounds of butter weekly in Juneau, 

 where he also sells his surplus cattle as dressed beef. He uses a 

 separator and has a silo. Silage made from the native grass forms 

 a considerable part of his stock forage. 



Haines, Alaska, is 100 miles north of Juneau and near the end 

 of the 1,000-mile " inside route " from Seattle. There are five or 

 six homesteaders near the towns, who are helping to prove the feasi- 

 bility of farming in Alaska. 



Henry Ancles writes on June 18, 1912: 



My crop last year was fine. I put in about one-half of my garden to potatoes 

 and got 05 sacks, at the rate of ;ibout 500 bushels to the acre. My sawmill, all 



