The Alaska prospector., 1903-03-26

by congress were eagerly looked for and wanted, may be judged from the fact that just as soon as news of the passage of the act reached Valdez, several parties got their outfits together and are now on their way into the interior to take up homesteads, and almost every day we have men at this office making inquiry a O how to proceed in the taking up of land and also seeking information as to the best locality to settle in.
 The men who have already started in have been over the coun- try and know just what ground they want. They have taken seed and the necessary implements, and will, on reaching their destination, set up home for the reception of their families. House-building in Alaska is not difficult problem as timber is plentiful everywhere.
 The coming season will show many farming locations in the Copper river country and those who know the country wish to get in and take up land that in some previous year had struck their fancy, but there is no danger of the ground being monopolized, as the whole of the Copper river valley Is remarkably good and will afford room for thousands of settlers.
 The opening up and working of the mineral lands of the Copper river country will afford the farmer 2 good market for his products for years to come, and give him a handsome profit for his labor. That the crops will grow luxuriantly is evidenced by the fact that grain scattered by the horses when being fed on the winter trail takes root and grows and makes as good a crop as though it was planted. Punches of such grain growing along the trail between here and Mentasta pass, indicate the location of camps of the previous spring.
 When grain planted in such q haphazard or accidental manner will give the results stated, there can be no doubt of the outcome whcn the grain is planted and handled by farmer.
 The reports from the government farm at Copper Center for last seasons work were remarkably good although the station was only established last season and work did not commence until late.
 The climatic conditions are such as to enable the farmer to cut and house or stack his crops with safety, as it but seldom rains and during the winter the snow is rarely over twelve or eighteen inches deep.
 
 The agricultural department at Washington, being desirous of obtaining knowledge of the farm- ing possibilities of Alaska, sent Mir. Jones out in 1901, to go over the country and report. He came into the country by way of the Yukon and on Sept. 10, in company with Mr. Oscar Fish, mail contractor, left Eagle and came across country through the Copper river valley to Valdez.
 Following are some extracts from his report regarding that section:
 South of the Chistuchina station the soil has depth greater than that on the north side of the pass. and here the valley of the Copper is largely made up of broad level benches, that ,ise one above another as one goes back from the river. Some of these benches are some- what sandy and probably would be rather dry during the summer months; others would retain mois- ture for long period. Pyespectors speak with enthusiasm of fine fla Ym. ing lands toward the hesdwsters of the GakOna and Tazlena rivers, and there is good land near the mouth of each of these streams.
 "The Tazlena, the next stream of