The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-21
THE PRODUCTS OF
ALASKA'S RICH SOIL.
Great Future for Agriculture In Pre-
dtcted-Vegetabies Grow In
the Yukon Valley.

One Of the great drawbacks 20 life In
Alaska IS that almost a. meat, fruit and
vegetables have 10 be brought from OUT
side the territory, bur Il must Tot be III
ferred that the soil % the country Is utter
iy unpr0duCt;ye 81 human food. Much mis-
apprehension has arisen from the failure
TO distinguish between the coast strip and
the interior, though the climate n the two
sections is radically different. ard the gem
eral statements as TO the vegetable gr3ys>h
In one do not apply 10 the other.
The dividing line between the two sec-
tions Is the great range OF mountains
which runs along the coast or closely par
allel 10 il. The extreme cold which would
naturally be expected in such far northern
ATTITUDES is tempered on the coast by the
warm Japan current. which performs the
same service in the Pacific which the Gulf
stream performs in the Atlantic. L, tenn
pers the cold. So that II Is not much more
severe than on Puget sound. while the
mountains shut off the ICY north winds
which blow down from the Polar sea- In
winter. too. the prevailing wind is from
the south and southwest. and IS always
warm. though carrying with IL deiage
of rain, which has earned fer the country
the reputation OF having continual an
The summers are clear and warm. blessed
with almost unbroken daylight.
Thus Il IS that straw berries and hardy
fruits r.peu as far north as Sitka, though
they reach maturity much later than IN
the Northwestern states. The hardy VeSe-
tables, grasses and berries have been
grown successfully at Juneau and other
points on the coast. and successful exper-
ments have been made with than and with
grain by Maj, Matson on Cook inlet Little
progress has been made with agriculture
and horticulture in this section, for the
frequent steamers bring fruit and vege-
tables so cheapiy from sne fruitful fields
Of inc California
the home market offered by the white pop
uIation is so limited that there has been
no inducement 20 follow UP the expert
ments on a large scale With the rapidly
increasing demand stimulated by the rise
of such towns as Juneau, Dyea and Skag-
way and a simultaneous advance in the
price. II is probable that Southeastern
Alaska will make some progress towards
producing its own supply OF vegetable
food X has also been found that the
nutritious grasses spring UP readily when
the dense primeya, growth OF forest and
underhrush has been cleared away THIS
will afford food for increasing herds Of
cattle. OF which only the nucleus has so far
been imported.
The climate in the interior is character
ICED by extremes of heat IN summer ane
cod In winter. with rapid changes from
one season TO the other. as the days
lengthen in summer and shorten in winter
very great and blizzards arc rare. but the
still air reaches a temperature far below
zero, and the daylight in mdwintec only
lasts for three 10 four hours Even then
Il is only twilight, for the sun only rises
a few degrees above the horizon. and Is
wholly obscured on many days. The mean
temperature in the winter Of isSS and 1889
was: Thirty-three degrees in October. in
November II below zero In December. G
above in March. and 20 above In April.
The. lowest temperatures were: Thirty
TWO degrees below in November a. below
In December 81 below in January. 50 below
In February As below IN March, and 70
below In Aprll. In February. 1889. the tenn
nsrature was Il below for five consecutive
DAYS The snowstorms in the mountains
are accompanied by high winds and ex-
IRENE cold and the man who attempts to
travel through one AZ them takes his life
in mis- hands In summer the Thermometer
often rises to 50 and % degrees in the
shade and this heat is broken by occa-
sIonal violent transforms,
The agricultural possibilities Of Alaska
have been made the subject az SPECIAL
study by agents OF The agricultural de-
partmert. and their results have prompted
Secretary James Wilson 10 say In a recent
article:
Il now predict without hesitation that
Alaska's fertile soil VIII before many year.
produce grain ard food products which
win more than equal n value all the gold
which is now supposed 10 be hidden be-
meath the surface.