ALASKA 



ALASKA 



41 



badly mildewed. Cuthbert raspberries do exceedingly 

 well at Wrangell and Sitka, the fruit being of fine size 

 and quality. The same is true of strawberries at the sev- 

 eral places where they are cultivated. Attempts have 

 been made at a number of places to cultivate some ol: the 

 indigenous fruits, and the dewberry or "knesheneka" 

 (Subus steUatus),Vfili currants (Biies rubrum and M. 

 bracteostim) , and the strawberry (Fragaria Chiloen- 

 sisl) have all been domesticated, and their fruit is 

 fully equal, if not superior, to the wild product. 



Vegetables. — More attempts have been made to grow 

 vegetables than fruits, and some definite data have been 

 obtained, showing what varieties are known to be adapted 

 to Alaskan conditions. Most of these data have been se- 

 cured from Sitka and Wrangell, in the southeastern part 

 of the country, and from the Holy Cross Mission, near 

 Koserefski, on the lower Yukon. A recent report from 

 the latter place states that potatoes of fine quality, weigh- 

 ing 1% pounds, and turnips weighing 5^ pounds, were 

 grown during the summer of 1898. In addition, notes 

 were given of some of the varieties of vegetables adapted 

 to the region, as follows: Cabbage— Early Jersey Wake- 

 field, Flat Dutch, and Drumhead ; cauliflower— Early 

 Snowball, Early Dwarf Erfurt ; turnips — Early Flat 

 Dutch, Yellow Globe, and Extra Early Milan ; ruta- 

 bagas—Improved American; radish— French Breakfast 

 and Chartier ; onions — Extra Early Red and Yellow 

 Dauvers; lettuce— Golden Heart; peas— American Won- 

 der and Early Alaska ; beets— Eclipse and Edmand's 

 Blood Turnip ; carrot— Oxheart ; parsley— Extra Early 

 Double Curled ; celery— White Plume, Giant Pascal; 

 rhubarb — Victoria. 



The same varieties, with numerous additions, have suc- 

 ceeded in the coast region. Snap beans, Challenge Black 

 Wax and Golden Wax, have done fairly well at Sitka, 

 ■where some experiments were conducted by the United 

 States Department of Agriculture during 1898, and the 

 English Windsor is quite in its element. At this place 

 the Philadelphia Butter and San Francisco Market let- 

 tuce made fine heads of a most superior quality. Par- 

 snips and carrots grow well, and salsify and spinach 

 were successfully grown at Sitka for perhaps the first 

 time. Peas were found to grow and yield well, and in 

 addition to the varieties above given, some of the dwarfs 

 and the Norwegian Sugar peas continued to produce 

 their crop until cut off by the frost. The blood beets, 

 Extra Blood Turnip and Extra Early Egyptian, grew 

 well at Sitka, but in many places beets are a failure on 

 account of their tendency to run to seed. This unde- 

 sirable trait on the part of biennial plants is shared by 

 other vegetables, principally turnips, although cabbage 

 and cauliflower have bfen reported as doing likewise. 

 It is believed by some growers that the flat type of tur- 

 nip is more subject to run to seed than the globe type. 

 Celery of exceedingly fine quality has been grown at a 

 number of places, although at Kadiak specimens were 

 seen in which the central axis was greatly elongated. 

 The leafstalks were also lengthened in about the same 

 proportion, and this trait was not considered undesirable. 



Potatoes are more extensively grown than any other 

 crop, and the quality varies with the variety, locality, 

 season, and culture. Usually little choice is exercised in 

 the matter of varieties, but Polaris, Beauty of Hebron, 

 and Early Rose appear well adapted to the conditions 

 existing in this region. The two last are the most ex- 

 tensively known varieties, and very favorable reports 

 bave been received from a few trials of the Polaris. 

 Season and method of planting undoubtedly exert a 

 strong influence on the crop. If the soil, which usually 

 contains a high proportion of organic matter and mois- 

 ture, is well drained or thrown up into beds, as is the 

 custom in many places, good potatoes can be grown in 

 the average season. In some parts of the country, espe- 

 cially from Cook Inlet westward, the natives cultivate a 

 small round potato, called the Russian, that seems to be 

 well suited to the country . It is said to have been brought 

 irom Siberia fifty or more years ago. Close planting of 

 potatoes, as well as almost every other vegetable, is the 

 rule, and often to this fact alone may be attributed many 

 failures. The object seems to be to grow a large crop 

 by planting an abundance of seed. The result is a large 

 ■growth of tops that completely shade the ground, thin- 

 ning being seldom or never practiced. Along the coast. 



where cloudy weather is the rule, it is safe to say that 

 the sun's rays never strike the ground after the grow- 

 ing season has become well advanced. Under such con- 

 ditions it is not an uncommon sight to see a crop of small 

 potatoes borne in the axils of the leaves above ground, 

 no tubers being formed below the surface. 



In general, considerable judgment is shown in the 

 choice of garden sites. A southwestern slope is always 

 preferred, and if well drained the garden is usually a 

 thrifty one. In many places the earth is thrown up into 

 beds 4 or 5 feet wide and the crop planted crosswise the 

 beds. Where it can be easily obtained, sand is added to 

 warm and to lighten the soil. Kelp is extensively em- 

 ployed as a fertilizer in some places, but its value when 

 added to a soil already largely composed of vegetable 

 debris is questionable. Gardens have been successfully 

 maintained at Dawson, Circle City, and other of the great 

 mining centers of the upper Yukon, and the dirt roof of 

 the miner's cabin is frequently utilized for early gar- 

 dens, the heat from within supplying the necessary 

 warmth required for growing early radishes, onions, 

 lettuce, turnips, etc. 



Wild Bbbkies.— The abundance of native fruits, espe- 

 cially of berries, has already been mentioned, and an 

 enumeration of some of them would seem not out of place. 

 Of widest distribution are the salmonberries (JRubus 

 spectabilis, Fig. 60), two so-called cranberries (Vibur- 

 num paitciflorum and Faccinium Vitis-Idma), currants 

 (Ribes rubrum, M.bracteosum, and jB. laxiflorum),CTOw- 

 berries {JSmpetrum nigrum) thTiaklebeTTiea (Vaccinium 

 uliginosum and its var. mueronatum), blueberries ( V. 

 ovalifolium) , red huckleberries ( V. parviflorum) , the 

 molka or baked-apple berry (Subus Ohammmorus) im- 

 properly called salmonberry in the interior, and rasp- 

 berries (jB«6«s strigosus). Of less gen- 

 eral distribution, yet very abundant in 

 places, may be mentioned strawberries 

 (Fragaria Chiloensis) , dewberries (Su- 

 btcs stellatus), thim- 

 ble berries (J?, par- 

 viflnnia), sala,l( Oaul- 

 theria Shallon), bog 

 cranberries ( Vaccin- 

 ium Oxycoccu3},he&r- 

 berries (Arctostaph- 

 ylos alpiua), etc. 



Salmonberry, one of the wild fruits of Alaska. 



Floriculture.- This branch of horticulture is not 

 wholly neglected in Alaska, although but few data are 

 available. Many of the hardier plants of the old-fash- 

 ioned fiower garden are to be seen. Pansies of great size 

 and brilliant color are common, and they remain in 

 fiower all summer. In some parts of the country sweet 

 peas do well, and poppies, nasturtiums, mignonette, 



