The Elk Mountain pilot., 1899-04-18
FARMING ON YUKON.
BoUNTEOUS CROP OF GRAINS
AND VEGETABLES.
Country Not Bleak waste-Govern-
ment win Develop Its Agricultural
Resources-Many Good Points to BE
Noted.

Farming is to be attempted Oh an
organized, extensive scale under gov
ernment supervision in Alaska. Effort
is to be made to raise grains, grasses
and vegetables in districts contingu-
GUS to the gold fields, and agricultur-
al experts pronounce the scheme prac-
ticable.
Ever since the discovery of gold in
Alaska and the great influx of people,
the government has been instituting
Investigations as to the agricultural
possibilities of the country, with
view to making it less dependent upon
outside supplies and living cheaper.
The results are surprise to the peo-
pie not thoroughly familiar with Alas
kan conditions. The present agricul-
tural appropriation bill now provides
a fund of $4,000 for the establishment
of regular government experiment
station, which will put Alaska on the
same footing in this regard as the
other states and territories which en-
Joy this assistance from the national
government. The scientist who is
likely to be appointed director of the
experiment station to be established
is Prof. c. C. Georgeson, who spent
last year, in behalf of the department
of agriculture, in Alaska, planning,
experimenting and surveying. Mr..
Georgeson is native of Denmark and
thoroughly familiar with the condi-
tions of agriculture in Northern Eu-
rope, and he expresses himself as GER
tain that much development will ensue
from a series of systematic and prac-
teal experiments and farm education
of the people. Before starting west
last year he procured seeds for trial
from agricultural officials in Norway,
Sweden, Manitoba and Minnesota,
where climatic conditions approximate
those found in Alaska. He planted
various crops at Sitka, Juneau, Skag-
uay, and a number of other places,
and the results were generally highly
successful. 1t was a simple practical
test, involving no labor or skill be-
yond that required everywhere for
successful cultivation of the soil; yet
the barley. oats and clover produced
were as fine as the best grown in the
state. The yield of oats and barley
was so remarkable that Secretary Will
son recently took sample bundles of
them to a cabinet meeting, to show
the president and his associates what
could be done in Alaska in the farm
ing line.
The territory was shown to be cap
able of producing very fine fax for
fiber. and this may become an import
ant industry. 1t is one which is not
developed in the states. The growth
of the various clovers was enormous,
seedlings reaching a height of over
two feet during the season.
The climate and soil, Prof. George
son says, are favorable generally to
the growth of all hardy and semi
hardy vegetables, and a varied and
luxuriant garden may be maintained
with comparative ease. He raised sue
cessfully asparagus. beets, cabbage,
caulifiower, carrots. kale. lettuce. on
ions, parsnips, peas. radishes, satisfy,
and potatoes. Investigations made by
him show that while little effort has
been made by anybody to grow field
crops of any kind. and no systematic
or thorough trials have been under
taken, yet IN lHe aggregate great
number of different plants have been
successfully raised. Distances are so
great and settlements so sparse that
little knowledge is possessed at one
point as to what the inhabitants OF
another section may be doing.
The advantage for stock raising
seems excellent Cattle grow fast and
produce good beef. Grass feed is
abundant. red-top growing as high as
a mans head. Timothy also does well.
The department of agriculture is just
in receipt of a sample of oats and
timothy from point south of Circle
City, where they have reseeded them
selves for several years. The oat
heads are hard and large. 1t is un-
necessary to import hay into Alaska,
although this is done to some extent
at cost of $40 ton; but the con-
struction of silos for keeping green
feed during the winter would obviate
any such necessity. At number of
points where gardening has proven
very unsuccessful the people are poor
and it is almost impossible for them to
get good seeds.