Agriculture.— The United States has fos tered agricultural interests through four experi mental stations: Sitka, nursery, etc.; Kodiak, dairy, etc.; Rampart, grain; and Fairbanks, farm demonstration. Despite much effort agri culture is only successful near large settlements and to a moderate degree. The growing sea son of six months on the southern islands drops to four in the interior valleys. The most im portant products are vegetables on favored grounds in the valleys of the Susitna, Koyukuk, Copper River, and especially the Tanana. The reduced importations of vegetables, despite large increase of population, indicates the in creasing volumes of these products. The values of all vegetable shi • "ents into Alaska aggre gated $700,000 in 1' is but was only $522,000 in 1915; imported hay fell from '16,044 tons in 1913 to 8,780 in 1917.
Manufacturea.—Apart from the canneries the manufacturing establishments of Alaska are few. The census of 1910 reported the fol lowing additional: 22 with 178 persons en gaged in lumber products; 16 with 89 persons in printing and 68 with 290 persons in miscel laneous work.
Forests.— The forestal resources have been conserved by congressional legislation. Origin ally about 40 per cent of the Territory was wooded, of which the coastal woodlands are now protected. The Chugach forest, over 800 square miles in area, includes most of the valu able timber in the neighborhood of Prince Wil liam Sound and on the adjacent island of Afognak. Some considerable areas in this forest have spruce and hemlock ranging from 20,000 to 50,000 feet per acre. The Tongass forest, with an area of 100 square miles, brings under national control the timber of the Sitkan Archipelago and the adjoining mainland. The timber is heavier and more valuable than else where. It consists of Sitka spruce, western hemlock, western red cedar and yellow cypress. The exportation of timber from the Territory is forbidden. Wood for domestic purposes is free to all living on or near the national for ests, as is the timber needed by prospectors while developing their claims. Nearly 40,000,000 feet of timber were sold from the national for ests in 1915, which returned a net income of $7,265. While the woodlands of the interior are inferior in quality, consisting mainly of small cottonwood, birch and spruce, yet they are of great economic importance in the mining districts where they are indispensable for the easy working of the frozen placers, which are thawed for exploitation. See FORESTRY IN THE
UNITED STATES.
Alaska is the only part of the United States where large game is yet to be found in quantities. Under the provisions of the act of 11 May 1908, game has been con served through close seasons, hunting and shipping licenses, and the system of licensed guides. During the breeding seasons the law protects caribou, deer, goats, bears, sheep, sea lions, walrus and game birds. Hunting is free to residents, but non-residents must obtain licenses from the Secretary of Agriculture, ranging from $50 to $150. While game can be killed for necessary food it cannot be shipped out of the Territory. Licensed hunters are per mitted to kill not more than one walrus or sea lion, two moose, three bears, caribou, deer or sheep, and not more than 25 birds on any single day. Special permits are granted for scientific purposes.
As far as the natives are con cerned, reindeer-raising is the most important of the Alaskan industries. It has gradually transformed large numbers of natives from wandering hunters into domesticated stock herders. In general the reindeer herds are scattered through the tundras of the coast regions of Bering Sea, of the valleys of the lower Yukon and Kuskokwim, along the Arctic coast from Kotzebue Sound to Point Barrow, and on a few of the outlying islands. The deer are widely and systematically distributed to the natives under definite regulations, which foster the spirit of personal ownership and in culcate skilled' methods of herding. Young natives, trained as herders by an apprenticeship of four years, ultimately receive from 24 to 29 deer as the nucleus of a personal herd. On 30 June 1914, there were 57,872 reindeer, herded at 65 separate points. Of these no less than 37,828 deer were owned by 980 natives, whose income for the year amounted to F7,934, ex clusive of domestic uses. The missions and the Lapp settlers owned 15,931 head. In 1916, the herd had increased to 82,151, and by 1918 will undoubtedly exceed 100,000. Female deer can be sold only to natives and within the Territory. Male deer can be slaughtered, when over four years old, not ex ceeding 2 per cent of any herd. Experiments have been made and plans are in progress for the exploitation of reindeer meat commercially, and it is thought that shipments will soon attain such proportions as to be a factor in the meat supply of the entire Pacific coast.