The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1868-01-04
Alaska.

Alaska
Agriculture of itself be a lucrative occupation
IN Alaska In the eastern group of slands-those In the
region about Skahe continuous rains of August and Sep
tember prevent the raising of gra and destroy the nutri
hous qualities of the grass The of arabic soil about
town hardly exceeds dozen acres and these need under
draining and rich dressing make them worthy of cult
vatlon The soil is black and full of small pebbles AS
to gardening, have value on patch OF two
hundred feet square in Massachusetts, than is raised this
island. In truth halfdozen families and few
Indians pretend to raise anything The garden of Prince
Maksouo which has in its culture the constant of an
adept, yields abundance of currants and few lndi
gesble raspberres The cabbage turnp archoke parsn
and caulihower exhibit fair display of leaves but the
cabbages headles the turps watery, the artchokes
tough the parnips STALE and the cauowers taseess Six
years ago. the governor obtained from Victoria apple pear
and cherry trees They have been carefully trained,
thrifty and this years growth of foliage is yet untouched
by the frost They bossomed about the lst OF june and
few dozen apples and few pears attempted to mature but
failed quart of palered nspd cherries completed the
yield of fruit for the only orchard in this part OF Russian
America The Indians raise few potatoes for the market
the adjacent islands of the 700 bushels in
the in beds sharply thrown up to avoid the ex-
of In the absence of better quality the Rus
slams have been satisfied with them. With the increased
facilities of transportation predict that the Ska potatoes
cabbages and rnps will pretty surely disappear from this
market Whoever visits Sitka will not be long in deciding
that while the latitude of this region may not be too high
the excessive rains beginning the of July and connu
ing till the last of December will prevent any other than
gerry incidental kind of farming.
Five hundred and fifty miles west OF Ska Is the island OF
Kodac having length of eghtyour and width of thirty
five miles Lying in the latitude of Stka, it is very
winters colder Onehird of the island is wood land
and the open rolling region, covered with thick
fine grass resembling redtop The forest trees spruce
fir and ceda covering the most of the northern part OF the
island, and having only few belts stretching the
southern. The climate in summer is dry-very much like
that of San Francisco The air prevents the raising of
grain but potatoes ups peas and other hardy vegetables
grown, of excellent quality Grass IS very abundant
and affords the best of pasturage There aboua hundred
cattle the island mostly of the Siberian breed small and
short with round plump bodies and short horns. They give
but little milk, of rich quality There is now no Market
and nducement to raise cattle here The natives are
satisfied with wild and fish, The cost of growing cattle
will be than in California and Oregon they must be
housed and fed four months of the year. but the beef BETTER
reminding the whalemen OF the finest Vermont steak
Both Russian and American visitors say that zodiac has
paurage and hay enough for the support of from 5000 to
5000 head of CATTLE has the best soil of OF the islands
of Alaska Territory.
The population Of Kodac is about 1900 The Russians
number less than 90 ST. Paul. the capital is next to sitka
in sze having population of AGO. The number of dwell
ngs and warehouses is CO. 1t is the northern side OF the
island. Near by Spruce island the home of the retired
list" superannuated officers of the Russian American
Company They have by far the best farms in the Territory
$50 of the finest CATTLE and raise excellent potatoes and
the harder vegetables.
Ounaaka the second in Importance of the long series of
islands which stretch 500 miles westward from kodiac is
700 miles beyond that island 1t has 700 inhabitants of
whom only one white the late Russian Governor There
is no wood the island and turf is used for fuel No cattle
here although grass abounds everywhere The climate
and soil the at Kodac but the surface is
mountainous One active volcanic peak, 5000 feet high
has quantities of lava the gorges leading down from
its The capital Illalook has lis inhabitants Ex
tending UU west OF OunaaSKa is an
range of islands, having surface varying from 1000 20
square miles They all of volcanic origin destitute
of trees and only the larger and attractive occupied
by natives Only two of them Atka and Attoo have Rus
sian trading posts They less covered with
grass and like Ounaaska have land animals except the
fox The natives live fish and SEAL Attoo the most
westeran soil of the American Republic, is 1899 49,
longitude and 500 5O north latitude, and has about 100
natives, living amid the rudest scenery.
France.
A deputation from the English Bible Society had
audience with the Emperor Napoleon lately and presented
him with a COPY of the Bible. The Emperor made brief
address to the gentlemen of the depuaton in which he
clared that his first rule to protect all religions
rumor now prevalent among the American colony in
por attributes to General Dix the intention of resgning his
most as United States Minister France According
eron of the rmor the General forseeng the possibility of
Of hic tT1refare tO