Brown
In 1901 there two extensive gardens just below West Dawson along the banks of the Yukon River; the Brown and Matheson tract, and the Brockfelt farm. The Brown and Matheson tract was eighty acres with about ten under cultivation. Five acres were seeded in 1900 in timothy and oats which yielded about fifteen tons. In 1901, three acres were in cabbages with about 20,000 heads, half an acre was in turnips and the one in potatoes yielded 200 bushels. Fifteen thousand celery plants were held for winter use. Quite a quantity of summer squash was grown, principally Hubbard squash. Hot house tomatoes yielded very well. The farm had about 15 tons of cabbage, potatoes, carrots and turnips of their own production.1)
Dr. Brown sold his farm in early April 1902. The Northlight Ranch, as it was now called, was by that time a model vegetable garden. A hothouse covered 3000 sq. ft. It cost $10,000 to create the place and it required still more work. The ranch consisted of eighty-nine acres and included all of the flat from Brockfelt’s hothouse to the shipyards below. The hothouse beds were laid out with precision and the truck is all the same size with even growth from one end to the other. Radishes, lettuce, onions, parsley, and all the early garden truck. The flowers were higher as they required more heat. Little pots had the sprouting seeds of parsnips, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, and others. Until mid-April, it required two men to watch the beds and fire the stoves to sixty degrees Fahrenheit. A daily cord of wood was needed.2)