The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-26
ants VIII Establish stations ~
1ftka, kaAiak SD Fort ksnsI-
The Appvsrrfatfss II Too Saall.

e1AL2u1 AZ f9ssSNs. CnS ss@Ess*Ts ana
sixty acres al ssska, iss acres On kaaias!
island and zee acres near cd Fort Kenai.
GI the Kenal peninsula
Prof, GE0fEsson. with his vile and
three children and his two assistants. g.
IL Robson and II u. Se.ssen, arrived
here yesterday They viii take the first
boat north. He will keep his family a.
Prof GeorEeson passed taroEKn here last
November on his way 70 Washington
aftcr har:ng ccnduc.ea some experiments
and surveyed reservations In Alaska lie
took with rim some speeisEsens os grams
and vegetables that have been grown in
Alaska.
Secretary Wilson vas delighted with
the specimens took 70 him." SAID Prof.
Georgrson al the Occidental hotel yester~
day afternoon. ".ie took the.n 20 q cab
inet meeting for the presi4ens and other
secretaries TO see and they were very
much surprised that such grains could be
grown In Alaska Tae appropriation for
work during this summer Is &l2.19 a
rather small sum to do the work proper
Iy; II really requires larger amount 10
thoroughly test The agricultural possibili-
ties Of Alaska
Headquarters ~ sitka.
II shall pat up a headquarters building
~ Sitka on Castle hill. the site OF the
old Russian cas,i. which was burned
down. Mr. Robson. who III . graduate
Of the Michigan agricultural college. will
have charge of Il. and Mr. Nielsen. VINO
In a graduate Of the Kansas agricultural
college. will hase charge Of the work at
kenAi.
1--WE shall conduct experiments at both
Of these stations. Al Siska some land
must be cleared. tus cannot tell yet how
many acres. Small grains. such as wheat.
cats, barley and buckwbea, and all the
vegetables which think can grow In
Alaska will be planted We shall also
such as cIcsers. grasses and peas and VIII
build . sIo at each place 10 ,cst their
preservation. We shall al the same time
test the natural resources OF the territory
In these line. and learn the value OF the
native forage plants fer cattle feed
practically the same kind o. work will
DO done at kenaI by NJ. Nesllsen. OF
course. / shall viss, each place 70 watch
t1e progress Of the work. A mar Will ne
sent To the reservation Al kaasak 70 CON-
duct experiments, but not as thoroughly
a. win be done NJ the other points
Then ! am going to try 10 have some
experiments ~ Eagle CITY on the Yukon
below Ds~rn. AZ Peasy Oh the koynkuk
and at various other PAGES. II ss not like
~, however. that I ehat. zo 10 the interior
10 conduct fhess experiments. Had there
been larger appropriation We would be
able 70 do this WORK much more thor
ouxhiy.
the fact tia tfefe must be- farming In
Alaska 10 saa3ts ~ent miEisg. He knows
that the greaa coz Of ssrdtng food all ths
way from the states Ii a great injury TO
tho mineral development OF the country
There Is no doubt whatever that Alaska
has grra. posEhsfLles In the line Of
agriculture as well a. mimi. We d.. not
yas reaiixs ~ P*opi. have come 10 think
that st III sr,sd. desoate country with
nothing to recommend II except its gold
But the work | did last year shows tina,
IL has a rien soil and climate that will
In time make |, one OF the great agricai-
turai districts Of the country"
some Practical Tests.
Here are extracts from Prof. George
sons report to Secretary Wilson showing
the disabilities of Alaska.
THE results of the effort to grow yege-
tables and small grain afford the best
argument as 10 the aiaptahillty ~ tne
climate and roll IN southeastern Alaska
for the Production OF crops, IL WAS a
simple. practical test, Involving no Labor
or skill beyond those required every 1flste
for tie suscensfu. cultivation Of the sod
yet the barley. oats, and eioyera were as
tine az these efoas usually ara In regions
auppexwd TO be especially adapted 10 taeir
needs. The ali-impottarI question te be
determined was whether the grams could
he sYsasarea there. Ne section can lay
claim TO be- called an agricultural eoun-
try X II Cannot produce the grains satGa
So to feed man and beast. II is not
enough that they Nil EFo~ and rFednco
= wealth Of green forage. they must ma
ture seed
.srnas oats and barley will mature in
southeastern Alaska was demonstrated The
paxt season WAsfAer tire other tso more
Important breaastaffs wheat and rye will
mature there. the writer Is not prepared
90 say. Hs.ng fatt-Ssesisd grains, there
was un opportunity 20 test them this yeAe
Seed az both has however. been diStFib,
ntsa "a snasH half dex@n tnsn IN q fTeT'
ent PARTS ~ she territory for seeding
saIs fail. ard the matter nAas be deser-
srsifesi next year. The selection Of seed
IL an impoTtaa, feature of such test
tsesaase variety frofa California fails
u ret safe 20 conclude fhat varieties
saaptas4 10 caidsF regions wiEt also FAD
SsntEl sisue shall hmye evolved Alaska
xrosn varieties suifea ~ tae Innate and
soil, occasional failures from iasseduc-
sFnsss .raav he expected as4 a would he
az the coat. tFsv ofs the ssssts al svrh fssl-
uFex Ta~ RsgG lax tor assrA asse grew
surprisingly we'll sesst w&S Furnished by
the chief Of as@e tnSssas t%a ttafsa. Who has
ais, kindly given his opinion az tae two
samples the writer Brought ia Nahsing-
ten.
soil Not Climate Faulty.
~ls sAoaii be- stated thai these vasseu.
crops were not Equality sueceSsfga IN all
places where tried IRE harley and cats
mate sheIr hest sroNSa 81 cid xrogni IN
Cav. Brssys eayien- oa ~sw ground
harley snd aax wer@ nearly tetsl failures
while cats ssFe only a partial sgecsss
The soil which had nsVex been HFeAwg'
ssforV Was xeftY a2st sally ia weed "a.
drainage. Ia zske IRA THes. timothy say
eFal varieties o. clever from Norway
ra8fzhes. carrots. several varieties -
pas beans ard hairs Vs>seN we're gesAl
failures On a Piece - s4@N ETe8n4 II srew;
~ sAe fssie Aesssa G@ess Az ee4ee. ~alle
IRE - nsa varieties grew EFsGSs y gAsFflssy 81
ola EeSWnd. TIE Sgr9 ~ 81 fheest vases
sersninaEea promptly. bat tae yssams
plants. ianEu8sae3. sarWea se.low and
died
AS between gnH taylry @n3 na.s II Mas
ssnstcesssie iasy afsat * fAe harley sgF-
stvsa oFly 81 tea DAYS after s. came 50
wAflT gh# etts seaSsst sssTs~SSsy4 a&S
STRONGER s~5~oTs - resistance ana ts 81
further @arshY ef neS@ t18f 3Ae $50 ~
plants ~ both grains aE{cA gessl RIA yarsaf
Ese3 ant tfAs rssAssr ear8sWF ss&a see
xeataS en cs4 ground saise tasss.f s sassl
sFowtn. TIE failure sa a. th%Ne "a
MAS due - ta~ Nsss Ans acs ~ Sc eft
saage. 4 g@asass warning 50 tsessSw .te
hessa wfsA r&* gvS0@4 800 - exgsacs ss>
fn2seA nar - tsseAaas@ discouraged - 4