The Alaska prospector., 1902-10-30

Il
about two tons of grass hay made
from the meadows on and ada.
cent to the station, which was put
under cover. We now have 81
acres ready for the pillow, asid,
from the gram tracts already seeded
Il: Valdez | saw Il nuininr oi
gardens containing all the hardy
vegetables. apparently II, good as
We are accustomed to- see i'm tn,
States. Ii is not uncommon to see
turnips weighing six and seven
pounds. Cauliiiower and cabbage
matured and did fairly well and
potatoes yielded well. | saw some
good gardens at Tonsina. "a miles
from the Copper river station. Let
tuce. radishes, spinach, peas. onions,
potatoes. turnips and rutabagas
were doing well.
Several gardens were seen at
Copper Center where many hardy
vegetables We're growing very salts
factorily. | found in Mr.. Blix's
garden, the Windsor bean growing,
and yielding well. Besides other
vegetables he had box of carrots
and one of turnips, which he was
putting away for winter use. They
We're very good size. sweet and
highly favored.
Along the military trail we
found oats headed out when we ar
rived, July IL. Also u few stalks
OF wheat and barley, just healing,
The oats were in the milk by Aug.
d, and all that escaped the loose
stock, matured good grain. | saw
some wheat along the trail that
matured. and the grain was hard
and plump. | found several stalks
OF timothy, two to three feet high,
but the heads seemed unusually
short. Also several stalks of red
clover in full bloom, Aug. 1st, and
well covered with foliage.
Il saw in Mr.. BIix's garden, Fin
land black oats, Burt's extra early
oats and Marsbury barley, all doing
well. They We're seeded Nav l.
and matured by Aug, %. Orchard
grass, broom grass, escue and tim
othy Were seeded May II, and made
a fair growth and formed good
SOD. The timothy headed some
and looked very encouraging.
THE Copper river valley is a
vast area and although somewhat
difficult to get into at present,
believe the time is near at hand
when thousands of happy homes
will be established there. With her
broad acres OF alluvial soil, ;eeming
with yege;a ion OF untold value;
heavy forests and great areas oil
rich grazing land, only awaiting
the advent OF the dairy herd, and
the many possibilities still unde-
veloped, We dare not presume to
say what changes may lake place
In the near future. | have seen
enough already TO convince me that
wheat, barley and oats can be sue
cessiuily ami prohtably grown, and
that meadows can be made here
the same as in the Eastern states.
Red top is native and grows five to
seven feet high, seemingly where
ever the seed may fall. Timothy,
as seen along the trail, or wherever
horses have been fed, would indl-
cate that il should become one Oh
the meadow grasses, and / believe
red clover can he successfully
grown.
Il should recommend stock rails
ing and dairying as the most prof
liable industry. The farm should
comprise 800 acres. This would
admit of a small reserve, wherein
fuel and timber for home purposes
might be perpetuated. There is
also need OF good sized farms. as
stock will have to he sheltered al d
fed seven months N the year.
With the adven, OF the railroad
and more liberal land laws, the
home seeker can crafty his desires
by settling in the Copper river val
ley.