The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-15
A LAND OF SURPRISES.
The Agricultural Possibilities of
Alaska.

The Agricultural Possibilities of
Alaska.
From the Philadelphia Record.
Alaska is a land of surprises. The
development of the fur seal business
and the disclosure of its vast mineral
wealth have successfully shown that
Secretary Seward made a good bargain
when he acquired that sub-ArCtic
tract by purchase from Russia. And
now ii is proposed to demonstrate by
experiments, to be made by the fed
eral department of agriculture. that
Alaska is an agriculturists' paradise.
1t is represented that the coast regions
produce in a wild state an abundance
of small fruit, such as strawberries,
currents and Cranberries, and that
grasses and other fodder plants grow
in the lOwlands of the Yukon, and
even further north, with tropical lux
uriGEce during the short but hot sum-
mer; and this indicates the practiCa-
bility of raising sheep, goats and other
herbiVOTOuS domestic animals. 1t is
well known that the tundra of North
ern Alaska is well adapted to the needs
OF the reindeer, that hardy quadruped
which is COW, heifer and horse all in
one for the inhabitants of the extreme
north of Europe and Asia. That the
soil of the valleys of interior Alaska
as well as of the coasts and island is
extremely fertile would appear from
the astonishing rapidity with which il
is covered with a teeming vegetation
after the melting of the winters
SHOWS. Leaves, flowers and fruit fol-
low in quick succession, natures ef-
forts being seemingly directed to the
hurrying of the ripening in order that
seeds may be produced before the nip
ping frosts of the early autumn. The
country is practically without decid-
uous trees: but its tall wild grasses
are said to be equal in succulency and
ViEOr to any that can be found on our
western prairies.
Such is the country whose agricul-
tural capabilities are to be tested by
the establishment in various parts
thereof of agricultural experiment sta
tons. The island of Kadak has been
selected for the location Of the initial
station. and being in the same latitude
as Norway and parts of Scotland, and
enjoying almost the same tempera-
tire. it is confidently expected that
rye, barley oats and other hardy
cereals can be grown there with rea-
scnable success. Indeed, barley had
been grown eXperimentally at Port
Yukon, almost directly under the Arc
tic circle in the interior of Alaska, and
the grain has matured. although the
straw was short. The climate of Ka-
diak standard, indeed, of the whole
Alaskan archipelago including even
the Aleution chain-is believed not TO
be too rigorous for sheep and the in
tention of the department of agricul-
ture Is to show that cattle can sub
sist, and be kept fat all the year round
without much care. on many Of those
Islands, while only in the more north
eriy of them would shelter 6e required
for the animals during two or three
months OF severe winter weather.
But. after all. the evidence cited to
show the fertility OF Alaska is not so
strong as to encourage with wild hopes
of the agricultural possibilities Of the
country. LuNuriant crops of wild
grasses are not uncommon even in
lands in which the climate is far more
rigorous than that Of Alaska. The
coast of Greenland is covered with
rich verdure in patches during the
t"ief visits of the summers sun Ev-
Iiorer Peary saw the banks of the
small watercourses near Independence
bay all aglow with poppies, over whose
bright petals butterflies lowered while
feeding on the nectar distilled by the
flowers. In British America agricul-
tural experiment stations have been
maintained for many years at the fur
trading posts, and even wheat has rip
ened under the care of scientific ex-
pcits within the Arctic circle on the
Mackenzie river Such successes of
experimenting scientists in agrlcul-
ture, however, do not prove that farm
ing in these high Iaitudes could ha