The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-30
ALASkA'S MANY RESOURCES.
10Th SOIL AND CLIMATE FAVOR
ABLE To AGRICULTURE.
Station Work In the N0rth-PrOf.
G. G. Geor&eson Impressed with
the Possibilities OF the Country.

The best authority on matters agriculiur-
al who has ever been in Alaska, declares
that. notwithstanding the adverse opin-
ions OF miners and others. a large poFuon
Of the country IS cal aoie OF becoming very
valua be for farming. This authority Is
Prof. c. c. Geergeson. special agent OF the
department OF agriculture, who mas been
conducting an exhaustive Investigation or
the agricultural poss5bi Of Alaska He
returned yesterday from the norm ana -
~
II consider that those parts OF Alaska
winch have examined viii support large
farming population. There are immense
areas susceptible CT cultivation. am con-
ndent that he valley Of the Yukon not
withstanding the cold OF the winter, Will
produce al Kinds or hardy Segc.a as ai.u
cereals. Though / made no experiments IN
the interior. the information which have
gathered from those who have been there.
convince ME Of this"
l'roI. lieorgeson reached Sitka about the
middle Of May and at once procured land
with witch 10 begin experiments.
u planted all kinds OF vegetables and
June L. said he, there were peas. cab
bages. beets. caulhower among others. and
/ aaNe never seen better vegetables any
where in the country. They were the equal
of those grown anywhere in the United
States The oats and barley i'd very we'll.
the former growing TO q height Of four
feet with very heavy yiesl AS / planned
only small patches ! cannot make an es-
innate Of the yield to the acre Flax which
l planted near Sitka, matured and pro
duced seed
"At Skagway Mr.. Sexton conducted SINH
lar experiments. though with not so varied
an assortment Of vegetables under my in
structions. He obta' ned similar results.
These results prove that the country about
S.tka and Skagway. and in fact all along
the western coast, is capable OF nigh cui-
tivatlon-
inlet I may say almost al the territory
tributary to it, equally suitable for the
growth of cereals and vegetables. On the
east side of Cook inlet and stretching from
kn,k arm west toward the ocean. there Is
a district probably 80 miles long by SO
miles wide. which is adaped To vegetables
and cereals. 1t is protected on the south
east side by range OF mountains, which
keeps Off the winds and the rain storms. II
IS a rolling country and has no very heavy
timber or underbrush. The rainfall is small.
and there is much sunshine, which makes
il an almost ideal farming region.
IT surveyed two agricultural experiment
stations one of 10 acres at kenai and an
other of 80 acres on kadiak island, off
the Alaska peninsula, These and one at
Sttka of Ito acres. VIII be used by the gov
eminent in future.
The Alaska peninsula is as fine graz
ing country as have seen, as Is nearly all
that country about Cook Inlet. Cattle 1--WE
there all the year round with very little
attention in the winter. The timber or
the whole coast. with few exceptions where
there IS glacial formal on. is abundant. a
virgin forest untouched. that will in time
to come, supply hundreds of thousands OF
people. did not go into the interior be
cause the appropriation for the experiment
did not permit L. but I hope to continue
The work on the Yukon next year.
''You may say that those persons who
have declared Alaska a barren wilderness.
unfit for anything except mining. DO not
know wha. they are talking about. / con-
slider that in years 70 come it Will suppor'
an immense agricultural population
Prof Georveson will remain here for a
few days, when he VII proceed 10 Wash
ington.