Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-20
GARDENS ON THE YUKON
Dr.. Sheldon jackson Reports on Crops Grown
in Alaska.
Enough Vegetables Could BE Raised
to Supply the Settlers-Need of
an Experiment Station.

Reports have been transmitted to the
| Speaker Of the House of the commissioners
| who were sent last summer to Alaska to
| report on Its agricultural possibilities The
| Investigations of two of these have been
previously published in The Star. The pre-
| liminary report of DR.. Sheldon Jackson of
| the bureau of education to the commission
er of education on the agricultural and hor-
ticultural conditions in the Yukon valley
has not been published.
"On the Goth of April last" says DIR.
jackson, Il had the honor to receive
| through you a request from the Honorable
the Secretary of Agriculture. that should
secure. during my expected tour of Alaska,
such items as could with reference to the
| agricultural and horticultural possibilities
Of the region adjacent to the Yukon river
In compliance with that request, 1 beg
permission to submit herewith the follow
ing preliminary report to the Honorable
the Secretary of Agriculture:
Leaving Washington on the 1st of June,
l embarked at Seattle on the steamship
Portland on the 18th. reaching Unalaska on
the list and st. Michael. sixty miles above
the mouth of the yukon river. On the 26th.
Taking passage on the river steamer p 3.
Weare. We left ST. Michael July 5, entering
the north channel of the yukon delta, a
distance Of seventy-two miles. that same
forenoon. 1 made a trip up the entire
length of the yukon river through Alaska
into the northwest territory of Canada to
Dawson kiondike). a distance of 1862
remaining there two days. left for my re-
turn trip down the river, reaching st. Mi
chael August "a, having spent nearly two
months in inspecting the river.
while Alaska will never be an agricul-
trral state IN the same sense in which that
term is understood In the Mississippi val
ley. yet it has agricultural capacities much
in advance Of the public sentiment Of the
&C untry.
cat Koserefsk. 1928 miles from the mouth
| OF the river, and at Anvik. 1855 miles. I
| found gardens kept by the Roman Catholic
Mission at the former place, and the Prot
estant Episcopal Mission at the latter place.
| at which were grown the following vegeta-
bles: Potatoes, tnrnips, caulifowers, rad
| ishes. lettuce. cabbage. carrots and beets
and peas. 1 saw potatoes about seven or
eight inches long and three inches in diam
eter; tuInips weighing ten pounds In the
| same region the following berries were
| growing: Wild whortleberries, salmon Der
ries. bearberries. blueberries. blackberries,
| redhcrries, currants. beth red and black,
! crowberries. cranberries. raspberries. straw
| berries and juniper berries. A species of
| red-top grass abounds the entire length Of
the Yukon valley. ranging from three to
| six feet in height
| At Circle City.
cat Circle City, 1922 miles from the
| mouth of the river and Fort Cudahay, !, 500
| miles from the mouth of the river, on the
edge of the Canadian boundary. 1 found a
| few good gardens generally kept by the
| commercial companies. At Fort C-1ahay,
| reas, beans, beets, radishes, lettuce, cab
| hage seemed to be thriving in the garden.
| At Circle City, lettuce, radishes, onions,
| turniI,s and peas for early use are sOwed
on the roofs of the houses the log cabins
being covered with dirt roofs. and the
| warmth of the houses probably conveying
| heat to the soil on the roofs. Eight miles
| from Circle City a good garden has been
established by gentleman 70 supply the
miners with fresh vegetables. Six miles
below Circle City Mr.. r. Wilson. who fur
nishes cord wood for the steamers, is ac-
! customed when an opening is made in the
woods sufficiently large to let the sun reach
the ground to loosen the soil between the
roots and stumps and SOW turnip seed In
| 1895 Re marketed 1900 pounds of turnp, re-
| ceving IL cents a pound for the same.
"A large vegetable garden has been es-
tablshed on the Canadian side opposite
| Dawson the capital Of the Klordike mining
region.
.'These general observations go to show
that. with the establishment Of an expert
ment station and intelligent gardening, suf-
| ficient vegetables could be raised in the
| Yukon valley for home consumption"
Various Crops Grown.
| Mr.. A. G True, director of the office of
| experiment stations in his letter of trans
| initial says that various crops, grasses.
| vegetables, as well as berries, are success
| fully grown in different localities in Alaska.
| and live stock is kept in small numbers.
| Very little attention mas been paid to pro-
| noting the development Of agriculture
| there. he says. by the study of local condi-
| tions Of soil and climate. Probably for an
| indefinite period the agriculture Of Alaska
| will be subsidiary to other Industries, such
| as mining. fisheries and others
There has been a rapid development of
| mining. The industries the natives depend
| on are declining, such sea otter hunting
| and the like. 1t Is hard to sustain the
| Eative population. so that it will be impor-
| tant to make most of such agriculture as
| can be carried on in Alaska.
| Mr.. True, therefore, recommends that the
| government continue it's Investigations and
| undertake experiments especially adapted
| to Alaskan conditions. with view Of in
| Producing the best methods and best crops
| for that region He believes If this is done
| great disappointment and loss on the part
| of incoming settlers will be avoided.
| Secretary Wilson of the Department of
| Agriculture seEds a letter OF transmittal
| with the reports. He hopes the appropria-
| ton of $4,000 for the Investigations and es-
| adjustment of experiment stations will be
| made. Headquarters will probably be es-
! tablished at Sitka, and cooperation will be
| had from persons in the state. who will be
| induced to raise crops under the directions