10 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
well at the Sitka Station. The soil is 
too wet. It requires a light, loamy, well- 
drained land for its best growth, but it 
can be grown in Alaska and will add a 
variety to the available vegetable dishes. 
“One sort, known as the Thick Rooted, 
was grown the past season. The seed 
was sown in the open on May 16 and 
produced medium sized roots by Octo- 
ber 1. 
Lettuce 
“Nine varieties were grown on a very 
small scale the past season. The seed 
was sown in the open May 15, and when 
the plants were up they were thinned 
to a stand of six inches apart in the row. 
The varieties grown were valued for ear- 
liness, quality, size, and solidity of head 
in the following order: Tennis Ball 
(black seeded), Giant Crystal Head, Cali- 
fornia Cream Butter, Rheingold, Butter- 
cup, Iceberg, Beacon, Maximum, and 
American Gathering. 
“Lettuce is easily grown everywhere in 
Alaska, and it is a favorite salad with 
everyone. In passing through the coun- 
try one sees at the isolated prospector’s 
cabin, aS well as at the more comfortable 
homes in town, a little patch of each of 
three vegetables. They are turnips, let- 
tuce, and radishes, the two latter always 
grown on a very small scale, perhaps con- 
fined to a single square yard. The aver- 
age cultivator takes no pains with his 
garden. He sows the seed thickly and 
cuts the plants when they are laree 
enough to use. This is one way of doing 
it, but a poor way. Lettuce can be had 
throughout the summer by making sev- 
eral seedings, say once in four weeks, 
from April to July. Then the best re- 
sults are obtained by sowing the seed in 
shallow boxes, and when the plants are 
two inches high set them in rows some 
six inches apart on rich soil. Those vari- 
eties which produce a solid head are to 
be preferred, but they are not as early 
as those which have a loose head. Solid 
headed lettuce sown in June or the begin- 
ning of July will be ready for use in Sep- 
tember, and the heads can be kept until 
quite late in the winter in a dry, frost- 
proof cellar. 
Parsley 
“Parsley is one oi the few greens which 
is grown for the flavor it imparts to 
dishes, and also for decorating dishes. 
There should be at least a short row of 
parsley in every garden. It is sown in 
the open in early spring. The plants 
should be thinned if they are too thick. 
The seed takes a long time to germinate, 
and it loses its vitality very soon, hence 
old seed should never be used. There 
are but few varieties: Extra Curled is 
the one most commonly grown. There 
is also a root parsley with plain leaves, 
the roots of which are used in soups, and 
with other vegetables, like celeriac. 
Spinach 
“Round Viroflay and Long Season were 
successfully grown at the Sitka Station 
the last season. Spinach does not succeed 
everywhere. It is a little particular about 
the soil. The soil should be well drained. 
In a wet soil it runs to seed almost at 
once without producing leaves. Sow it 
the middle of May. 
Radishes 
“A 50-foot row was seeded of each of 
the three following varieties. They all 
did well, and they are valued in the order 
named: Early Scarlet Turnip, French 
Breakfast, Deep Scarlet Olive-Shaped. 
It is superfluous to say anything here 
about the culture and use of radishes. 
Everyone knows and appreciates them.” 
FRUIT TREES 
Apples 
The following varieties of apples are 
grown in the small test orchard at the 
Sitka Experiment Station. It will be 
noticed that most of them are crabs or 
crab hybrids. These trees were planted 
in 1903, except those which have been 
planted to replace others that have died. 
They were, therefore, nine years old the 
past season and old enough to bear fruit. 
In 1911 the following varieties fruited: 
Raspberry (crab), Yellow Transparent 
(crab), Hyslop (crab), Whitney (crab), 
and Sylvan Sweet (crab). 
The past year the only varieties which 
set fruit were Whitney, Tetofsky, Hyslop, 
