The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-05-11
PROGRESS MADE IN
ALASKA AGRICULTURE.

ALASKA AGRICUETUREs
Prof. c. c. Georgeson, who has
charge Of the Alaska agricultural x
pertinent stations, has just arrived in
Washington and reported to Secretary
Wilson OF the agriculture Of the ter
ritory. He shows that agriculture is
practicable on an extended scale.
The economic conditions prevailing
in Alaska prevent speedy settlement
of the territory by farmers. Trans
~pc~tation is too expensive for the poor
man to go there and take up land, and
the farmers who are well-to-do do not
leave the states.
A special homestead law for Alaska
allows citizens Of the United States
with homestead rights to take up $40
acres OF u~nsurveyed land for home
stead purposes, but the locator aus
pay the cost Of the survey, which
amounts to several hundred dollars.
Professor Georgeson by crossing a
cultivated variety of the strawberry
which was too tender for the climate
with the wild ALASKA strawberry. has
produced a large number OF hybrids,
many Of which are not only hardy and
thrive well in the climate but are
very productive and yield large ber-
ries Of excellent quality. He also pro-
duced a number OF hybrid barleys by
crossing varieties excellent in them
selves but requiring a longer growing
season than the Alaska climate AFFORDS
with early maturing varieties which
are undesirable because they are small
producers and have heavy boards.
Many OF the hybrids resulting from
this cross are early enough to mature
in the interior of Alaska in normal
seasons and having no boards can be
used for hay and fed to farm animals
without being threshed. This Jesuit rs
Of Importance, for it is becoming more
ana more apparer1 that to succeed In
grain 4. lowing, Alaska must develop
varieties 4r-'ssch are better suited to the
climate than the grains which are
troduced from southern ATTITUDES.
Winter rye and winter wheat can
be successfully grown in interior Alas
ka the snowfall is deep
enough to protect the grain against
severe winter temperature, say from
two and one-half to three and one-na1
feet. Rye is harder than wheat ma
theref re the more successful OF the
two grains; but 1t is expected thai tue
experiment station will develop varl-
cites Of these grains suited to the III
matte conditions. Siberian ifaEas
which the department Of agriculture
secured through Prof. N. g. Hansen OK
south Dakota. from the vast semi
avid regions Of western Siberia have
been introduced, and ave been grown
at the experiment station at Rampant
IN latitude SIS degrees 30 minutes,
where ali the experiments with grains
and other plants are conducted. IL
another year should prove that they
can maintain themselves, an import
arr nrobleYn in Alaskan agriculture
has been satyea as d lesuninous
rIant was needed, not only t. furnish
fed for live stock. but TO au IN me
maintenance OF the fertility OF the
soil.
There are four experiment stations
in Alaska located respectively at sit
ka. Fairbank, Rampant and koa4aK
1the Headquarters is I'd at Sitka
station, which Is devoted chiefly 70
axnoriments in horticulture, such as
1 amortization of Strawberries above
mentinned Five varieties OF apples
vare Ynatured in the SUMMER OF lell
at this station in a test orchard Whicn
was planted in 1903. 1t has been con-
| sidared doubtful whether apples could
he grown in Alaska, but this station
has proved that some varieties VII
mature.
The climate of the coast region ts
modified by the proximity OF the "a
c,f,e oeean. Tne winters are COM
narativeiy mild but the summers are
| cola and moist. The lowest temper
allure at Sitka the past winter was =
degrees above zero and the nignes'
Temperature on record at the same
place during d period Of upwards o.
seventy-five years is 81 degrees above
The maximum temperature frequently
does not exceed rs degrees and some
timAs 1T does lot reach that high dur
ing the entire growing season. Tne
aifficultv with apple growing in the
coast region is not that the winters arg
I'd cold but that the summers are mol
warm enough to mature the fruit. II
the interior, on the other hand. the
summers are warm enough but tn
winters are too severe for the trees e
survive without protection. The prob
ability is, therefore, that fruit grow.
ing aside from berry bushes VII never
be d success in interior Alast
The Fairbanks station which hal
the task of demonstrating how fa'
general agriculture, such as would bs
i M-aAxsAaA H~S 49, $1,000 - mSa N1s vi D1&
be made q success In that region
Fairbanks is located in the Ta1ans
valley. in which 1T is estimated there
are about 1900 square miles OF lanf
available for agriculture. Grair
growing and the cultivation Of vege'