ALASKA 9 
spreads its leaves flat on the ground. The 
leaf stems are not upright as in many 
varieties, and the maggots, therefore, do 
not follow the stems to the ground at 
the base of the plant; they are already 
on the ground. If this is not the correct 
explanation, it is at least plausible. The 
root maggots are not troublesome at 
Sitka, and therefore there has been no 
opportunity to experiment with remedies. 
Carrots 
“On May 15 a row 100 feet long was 
sowed to each of the following varieties 
of carrots. They were all ready for mar- 
ket on October J, although they were not 
dug until some time later. In point of 
yield they rank in the order mentioned: 
Stump Rooted, 181 pounds; Yellow Dan- 
vers, 1388 pounds; Chantenay, 117 pounds; 
French Forcing, 113 pounds; and Early 
Scarlet, 110 pounds. 
“Carrots are also a neglected vegetable. 
They can be grown successfully almost 
anywhere in Alaska, but they require a 
well drained soil, and the richer the 
ground the better the crop. 
Beets 
“But one variety of beet was grown 
last season, namely, Extra Early Egyp- 
tian. The seed was sown on May 15 and 
produced medium sized roots of good qual- 
ity by September 15. 
Swiss Chard 
“Swiss chard is a kind of beet grown 
for its leaves. The stems are crisp and 
palatable and used as a salad. It does 
well in Alaska. The seed was sown on 
May 15. September 15 it was ready for 
use; was 18 inches high and of good qual- 
ity. 
Celery 
“Three varieties of celery were grown 
on a very small scale here. They were 
Giant Golden Heart, Golden Self-blanch- 
ing, and Rose Ribbed. They rank in the 
order given. 
“Celery can be grown with great suc- 
cess in Alaska, provided conditions are 
right. In a poor soil poorly drained, it 
amounts to nothing. The seeds should 
be sown in flats or boxes in the house, 
greenhouse, or cold frame in the latter 
part of March When the plants are an 
inch high or less, they should be trans- 
planted in rich soil under glass about four 
inches apart, and about the beginning of 
June they can be set in the open ground. 
“Celery is always planted close to- 
gether because it facilitates the blanching 
of the stems and a large number of plants 
can be grown on a very small area. A bed 
may thus be prepared of light, that is to 
say, more or less sandy soil in which 
five or six inches of decomposed manure 
has been dug in and thoroughly mixed 
with the soil. Set the plants in this bed 
six inches apart each way for the smaller 
varieties and seven or eight inches apart 
for the larger varieties. Inclose the bed 
with boards which are kept as high as 
the top growth. The so-called self-blanch- 
ing varieties will blanch in the partial 
darkness caused by the dense growth of 
leaves. Other varieties can be blanched 
by filing in soil between the plants, and 
they will be ready for market as soon as 
they are large enough to use, which may 
be the latter part of July if the plants 
are started early. 
“Celery grows better in the interior 
than in the coast regions, because the 
summers are warmer, and all vegetation 
grows rapidly. The writer has never 
seen or tasted better celery than that 
grown by market gardeners at Fairbanks. 
Celeriac 
“Celeriac is a variety of celery. It de- 
velops a large root like a turnip or ruta- 
baga, and it is grown for the root. It is 
rarely cultivated in America except in 
German settlements, but it is a most de- 
licious vegetable which can be used 
either raw as a salad or better still sliced 
and boiled in soups and other dishes. 
The plants are raised like celery plants 
and planted out 15 to 18 inches apart in 
the row in rich soil. 
“Both celery and celeriac require a 
moderately dry soil. They are failures 
wherever their roots are continually wet. 
Salsify 
“Commonly known as oyster plant from 
the fancy that its root resembles the oys- 
ter in flavor. Salsify has not succeeded 
