Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-21

some Interesting Statements Made by Rev.
Fat her Tcsi Of the Catholic Mission.

S~sAso Ahsercsun& St3reu1eu69 MADE BY Rev.
Father Tosi Of the Catholic Mission.
SOME WIDE VARIATIONS As TO rxnPxRArunE--
VEGETATION Is VERY POOR, But HE HAS MADE
soMz SUCCESSFUL xxPERrMKxrs IN RAISING
cRoFs-crRIosIry OF The EsourxAUx.
The Rev. Father Tosi, general superior Of the
Catholic missions in northwestern Alaska.
writes Interestingly about the climate, vegeta-
oon and other things IN Alaska.
de says: In Nulato, during Ave mouths, the
temperature averages 25 degrees. and on the
coiaesf Gays 80 to 60 degrees. At Forty Mile
Creek and Stuart river the average 10 50 to IS
degrees; the minimum. 60 to 70 degrees. In
the winter of 1857 the temperature fell to IS
degrees, the mercury freezing December % and
remaining solid until March u. 1888. The
snow is from one to two feet deep; at the
coast range it il from four to six feet deep; on
the lakes in 1883 it was only one foot deep.
In Nulato and farther up the springs earlier;
A. Forty Mile creek and beyond the ice breaks
! at the enc OF May. The climate there is mild
and less charceable. The thermometer goes up
20 90 or 20, sometimes to Ito degrees. At the
lakes and at the mouth Of Pelly river the snow
begins to melt in April and has disappeared at
the beginning OF May. At this place May and
June are delightful months. Here, too, crops
| grow very rapidly and reach full maturity.
VEGETATION POOR.
Vegetation is generally very poor, except in a
rev sheltered places. There are no trees to
speak of, and few bushes along the Yukon and
| Kuskaquim and on the south side Of the Konsi-
wax mountains. The ground il all covered
with heavy coat of moss from ten to eighteen
inches thick. Over the moss berries of differ
ent kinds grow in abundance. Occasional
patches OF huckleberries and salmon berries are
| seen.
The woods begin from $50 to 200 miles in
land. Birch is the first met with; pine begins
farther up and continues to the heads Of the
rivers. The tops Of the highest mountains are
without wood. The tallest trees grow in the
gulches and on the islands Of the rivers
vegetation begins toward the end of May and
Is luxuriant about the 10th Of June. There is
| no frost from the time the ice begins to break
on the Yukon and Kuskaquim, which takes
place about the middle of June until the mid
die OF September. Abont the goth of May We
begin to prepare the ground for gardening and
toward the end of May we plant.
From the mouth of the Pellv to the coast
range, southeast some twenty-five or thirty
miles from the sea, bunch-grass grows every
where except on the low ground. August %,
1887. l gathered at the sonth side OF Lake La
Barge about ten heads of wheat, nearly ripe, in
place where some miners had canned the year
before. There, as in Nulato, 1 found buckle
berries, raspberries, chickenberries, wild rose
berries, cranberries and black currants.
HIS PERSONAL ExpER1MENrs.
The first experiment undertaken BY myself
IN plant-growing was at Nulsto, during the
season of 1888. Here cultivated small piece
OF ground and succeeded in raising some very
ilno turnlps and lettuce: more. indeed, than one
father could consume; and the miners who oc-
casionaily passed the mission, were glad to avail
themselves of the cheerfully accorded privi-
lege OF helping themselves TO the mission veg
etables.
More extensive experiments we're undertaken
at the Holy Cross Mission, $50 miles from the
mouth OF the Yukon. as mentioned above.
During the season of 1890 variety of seeds
we're planted here, but the results were very
poor. Cabbages grew we'll and gave large
leaves, but none of them formed heads. The
clearing away OF the moss, however q deep
coat Of which'covers the soil and prevents it
from thawing during the warm season, having
exposed that portion cleared for garden pur-
poses to the heat of the sun. the ground thawed
deeper the next season, 1891. and the results
were very satisfactory. No fertilizer was used.
That season there was raised in the garden, of
cabbage more than 1000 very fine heads: Of
potatoes nearly twenty bushels from a quarter
acre plat; Of turnips seventy bushels some of
them OF extraordinary size. which were dis
tributed rs presents; radishes were very sue
cessful, while rutabagas, beets. carrots and
chlcory were all very satisfactory; onions we're
much less SO, while beans and corn proved a
failure; OF peas only the dwarf variety was a
success, and supply of seed was reserved and
planted in 1892; fax a successful crop.
For the year 1892 the fathers had four acres
fenced in and cleared from moss. OF this half
an acre has been sown to turnips and quarter
OF an acre to peas. They have also planted 600
pounds of potatoes from the last years crop;
the rest is devoted to such vegetables as grew
well the previous season.
INTEREST OF THE EsQUINAUX
Father Barnham reports from the mission
station near Cape Vancouver, Nelson's Island,
that small piece of ground was cleared Of moss
for garden purposes. The Esuuimaux in the
them came over regularly to visit the little
truck patch. Their curiosity frequently led
them to pull up turnips to note their growth.
but they were always very careful to replace
them in the ground. At this mission only tur-
nips and radishes were successfully raised,
enough SO as to more than repay the trouble.
The other vegetables however, failed. An in
telligent half-breed trader residing there has
this year Q392) been furnished with seeds.
The fathers are quite'anxious to make some
experiments in the small fruits and the Siberian
crabapple. They would also like to experiment
with the various grass seeds.
IN REGARD TO LIVE STOCK.
In regard to live stock. our experience has
been that they can be kept during the long
winter months, provided there is good supply
OF roots for them. Al Kozyrevsky the mission
fathers had eight head Of cattle and several
calves we're raised. During the summer months
these animals were in fine condition. They
were. however. very common stock and had
suffered many hardships during their long sea
voyage. The native grass is luxuriant, but it
affords worthless hay, devoid Of nutrlment.
1t is believed that goats could be raised and
kept to great advantage in the territory. and an
experiment was made with these animals at the
mission at Kozyrevsky. Unfortunately, how
ever. the three animals sent from San Francisco
we're Of the Angora breed and proved too ten.
der for this rigorous climate. So far they have
done well, but they require constant care and
must be carefully protected from the savage
native dogs. These brutes, indeed, are the chief
obstacle to the introduction of cattle in this re-
gion. Horses would be Of no use whatever;
they could not travel in many sections either in
ummer or in winter unless, like the horses of
Iceland, they could eat dried fish, as 1t would
be impossible to carry sufficient food for the
journey.
Tortured to Death.
Henry Pioneering, an employee at the Penn
sylvania tube works at Pittsburg, met with q
horrible accident yesterday. He was engaged