REINDEER IN ALASKA. 



27 



Table 4. — Plants grazed in winter, in the order of tJieir importance. 



Second series — Continued. 

 Group II — Continued. 



First series : 



Reindeer moss (lie liens) 



(Cladonia) (numerous spe- 

 cies ) . 

 Iceland moss (lichens) (Ce- 



traria ) ( numerous species ) . 

 Second series : 

 Group I — 



Cotton sedges (Eriophorum). 

 Sedges (Carex). 

 Grasses (Arctagrostis ; Poa). 

 Ear lichen {Nephroma arc- 



ticum). 

 Group II — 



Heath moss (Polytrichum) 



(several species). 

 Bunch moss (Aulaconitnium 



turgidum) . 

 Clubmoss {Lycopodium anno- 



tinum). 



GRAZING PERIODS AND CLIMATE. 



Eeindeer raising is entirely a range proposition, involving year- 

 long grazing, with, generally speaking, a winter season varying from 

 seven months on the coast range to six or six and a half months in 

 the far interior. On the coast the grazing periods run about as 

 follows : Spring, or fawning period, April 10 to June 10 ; summer, 

 June 10 to September 15 ; fall, September 15 to November 15 ; win- 

 ter, November 15 to April 10. 



The seasonal periods applicable generally to reindeer grazing in 

 Alaska are indicated roughly in Table 5, which includes figures on 

 temperature and precipitation as recorded from climatological data 

 collected by the United States Weather Bureau. Data are given 

 for only a few widely scattered stations, but are thought sufficiently 

 representative to afford a general idea of the climatic conditions 

 covering the main reindeer area. 



Fern moss ( Hylocomium alas- 

 kanv'}n). 



Sphagnum moss {Sphagnum 

 fimbriattim) . 



Pad moss {Dicranum) (sev- 

 eral species). 

 Third series : 



Willows {Balix). 



Blueberry {Vaccinium uligino- 

 sum). 



Ground birch {Betula ro- 

 tundifolia) . 



Crowberry {Empetrnm ni- 

 grum). _ 



Alaska tea {Ledum palus- 

 tre). 



Mountain cranberry ( Vacci- 

 nium vitis-idaea) . 



Table 5.- 



-Climatological data, by seasonal periods at various AlasJca stations 

 for the year 1919. 



Stations and districts. 



Temperature (°F.). 



Precipitation (inches). 



Years 

 recorded. 



Annual 

 mean. 



Lowest. 



Years 

 recorded. 



Total 

 annual. 



Snowfall. 



Dutch Harbor, Aleutian Islands 



18 

 3 



17 

 2 



19 



14 



39.5 

 34.3 

 28.3 

 23.4 

 23.6 

 26.4 

 23.6 



5 

 -43 

 -58 

 -57 

 -66 

 -56 

 —49 



18 



64.98 



5 



Naknek, Bristol Bay 





Holy Cross, Yukon River 









Nulato, Yukon River 



3 



19 

 14 



17.18 

 13.33 

 11.44 





Xanana, Yukon River . 



21 5 



Fairbanks, Tanana River 



29 6 



Unalakleet, Norton Sound 





Nome, Seward Peninsula 



12 

 9 



25.3 47 



12 



19.04 



54 9 



Candle, Seward Peninsula 



20.3 



-60 

 -57 





Akiak, Kuskokwim 









Salmon River (Kuskokwim) 













. 1 ' 









