Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-06
What is Being Done in Far-0ff
Alaska.
EXPERIMENT STATION WORK
Difficulties That Have Been Encouu-
tered From Climate and Soil.
SOME GOOD RESULTS PRODUCED
Grain May Be Hoped for, Berries
Grow Abundantly and Efforts at
Cattle Are Made.

Cattle Are Made.
From farming In the tropics, on which tho
Department Of Agriculture has just issued
reports covering Porto Rico and Hawaii.
to farming inside the Arctic circle. Is a
long jump. But the latest publication OF
the department Ii on the work of the
Alaskan experiment stations prepared by
C. c Georgeson. In charge OF the Alaskan
work The report covers the operations at
Stka. Rampant. Copper Centre. Kenai and
Fairbanks. and shows a remarkable amount
of ingenuity in selecting and coaxing along
the crops best suited to the short. uncer-
tain summer OF the far north. The work
has met with many discouragements and
set backs. But on the whole 1t has beeu-
satisfactory enough. and a good many OF
the mistakes made were the sort that were
to be expected in dealing with an almost
unknown problem They can be rectifed
In the future. and the writer makes the
prediction that a very large percentage OF
the 81. 100000 worth of produce imported In
1905 could be raised In the country.
Returns have not been available from all
Of the land Offices, but IL Seems that ten
offices report 80 homesteads taken up. and
while a number OF these probably were
taken largely for the timber them. there
has been enough done I'm the farming line
things beside minerals. and will be able
very largely to feed herself The total
farm imports into Alaska last year were
$3.34O.S99. of this amount many things
were like tobacco. rice. sugar and nuts.
which essentially belong to the tropics. But
OF the products of the temperate zone there
were 81 .52I.522 worth of animal products
and 81 or. 62S worth of vegetable products.
and OF these much the larger portion can
and eventually will be produced in the ter
ritory.
At the Experiment Stations.
The experiment stations so established
have been mostly small and there has not
been much money or labor available TO
work them. The Sitka station. which Is
the main station. has devoted Its energies
largely to fruits and Is struggling to pro-
duce some sort OF apple that will ma
tuIe In the short summer allowed 1t In the
territory. Several crab apples and their
hybrids have been introduced the most
promising sorts. The island. along the
coast seem to promise the best ground for
such experiments. There is a native
riety of apple that produces a fruit but
little larger than sour cherries and II Is
possible that some grating and hybridizing
may be possible with It. But the growth
is very slow and the work is arduous.
While there may be some doubt Of the
success of fruit trees. there Is no doubt
whatever concerning the success OF fruit
bushes in almost all parts OF Alaska south
rants grow Wild and cultivated varieties
OF these bush fruits are grown with mark
ed success everywhere they have so far
been tried. In the coast region respberries.
currants and gooseberries grow better and
yield more fruit than they do In regions
east OF the Rocky mounfains.- 1t Is planned
to test as many varieties of these as can
be obtained at slight cost. in order to de-
termine what sorts do best.
Makeshifts Resorted To.
both by the settlers and the experiment
stations to fight against nature and natural
disadvantages is almost pitiful. Alaska Is
not In the main fertile soil. There Is
too much winter for the rocks to disin-
tegrate properly and the ground has to be
fertilized TO produce anything like well.
The Sitka station tried lime burning, trans
porting the rock fourteen miles for the pur-
pose. but the launch that used broke
down and there were other difficulties in
the way. 1t was found that the cost of
burning lime, where 1t was tried.
shown to prove that there are some sec
tons where the farmer can better afford
to burn his own lime than to pay the
enormous freight charges
Another thing that has been found Ia that
In some parts of the territory irrigation win
be necessary Irrigation Is usually looked
upon as the recourse Of desert dwelling
community in the hotter ATTITUDES, but there
parts of Alaska where the rainfall Is
sCdHt ueSpiit tflc IdCt tHdt tn6 SNOWFALL u
large, and 1t Is necessary TO irrigate to
make the crops worth cutting. The problem
OF blowing and sowing is also a serious one
and has been tried in various ways with the
grain crops. Early sowing and early plant
ing are both imperative. for the the report
says, early sown crops may be frost killed.
but late sown ones are sure to be-" There
Is a whole lot of significance in that one
sentence, for II shows about what sort OF a
problem the workers are dealing with.
Much OF the grain that has been planted
has had to be cut for forage because the
grain did not mature. But the most north
ern varieties in the world are being sought
from Russia and from Norway and Sweden.
and 1t Is thought that something may be
either found or developed that will I'll
the local requirements.
People Anxious for Experiment.
The people of the territory are well alive
to the advantages of the experiment station
work The people of Fairbanks petitioned
the Secretary OF Agriculture for the crea-
ton of experiment station In the Tansna
valley. and the present station was ac-
cordingiy established Much of the area
reserved for the station Is now heavily
timbered. but the location is good one
and considerable is hoped from the work in
this locality.
One curious natural phenomenon is noted
In the report. and that is a region about
eighty miles up the Tanana valley. where
number OF hot springs break out and
where the crops mature rapidly on what
seems to be a natural hotbed. One J. F.
Karshner, formerly Kansas farmer dis
covered this unique location and at once
took up homestead. He had in about
thirty acros Of vegetables IN this favored
spot and The crops mature early and are
all readily marketable. He even grows
watermelons and cantelopes and the report
saws that his farm looks like little section
OF the temperate zone dumped down in the
middle Of Alaska.
The department experts have tried stock
breeding and between the Highland cattle
and the Galioways expect to develop q
breed of beef and milk cattle that VIII be
well adapted to the country and Will form
valuable asset. The same work Is being
done with sheep. and the black-faced
Scotch breed promises we'll.
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