The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-02-02
VALUABLE LAND
IN ALASKA OPEN
There Are 100000 Square Miles of Area
on Which There Are Possibilities
For Farming and Grazing.

Washington, ID. G., Feb. $50 far as
topography, soil, and climate determine
the matter, Alaska has probably 100000
square miles of area ON which there are
possibilities for farming and grazing.
The larger portion of the farming land
is in the interior, in the Yukon drain
age according to the department OF agri-
cultures new bulletin entitled Possible
Agricultural Development OF Alaska
Currants, raspberries, gooseberries,
Strawberries, blueberries, and cranberries
are plentiful in Alaska. Varieties OF
wheat, oats, rye, barley, potatoes and
many other vegetables have matured
every season since the department start
| ed its work at its two most northern
experiment stations. The department
! has four stations; one is on the Yukon,
within 70 miles of the Arctic circle, an
other is also in the interior, while there
| is one in the southeastern and another
in the southwestern portion OF the ter
ritory.
1t has been positively demonstrated
/
southwestern and central portions as
well as potatoes and other garden veg
/ etables. Chicken raising is also proving
| feasible 1t has also been estimated
! that a great number OF farm products
are shipped in that might easily be
raised on the ground.
Inc new bulletin on Alaska, while cit
ing so many optimistic facts, also warns
the homesteader that there are many
difficulties to be encountered.
| On the south coast, where the climate
| is mild, tillable land is scarce, because
of the proximity of the mountains to
the shore line; elsewhere in Alaska the
winters are long and very cold and frost
proof buildings must be provided for
shelter of family and stock.
The ground freezes to a great depth
and there is but short period during
which this can thaw, and the surface is
covered with an accumulation OF unde-
cayed moss and other vegetable mate
rial serving as a protection to the frost
and q reservoir for moisture. The frost
| line under natural conditions sinks but
few feet during season, and the
thawed layer is usually morass OF
muck in all portions of Alaska where
tillage is possible. This condition makes
land travel almost out of the question
during the summer until wagon roads
shall have been built, and these must
be largely of the corduroy type. Mean
time the farm home must generally be
located close to navigable water.
The swampy character of much OF the
surface OF Alaska makes it a great breed
ing ground for mosquitoes and gnats,
which are almost intolerable pests to
both man and beast. 1t also makes
drainage prerequisite in order to re-
move the surplus water so that the
land can be worked, raise the tempera-
ture of the surface soil, lower the frost
line. facilitate the decay of the accumu-
lated organic matter, and bring about
chemical changes which will transform
the soil from very acid condition to
one much less so. Nature requires much
time for this last process.
Where the vegetable aceumulations
are largely moss, this must be de-
stroyed. either by burning or by cart
ing it from the land, for If plowed UNI
der il decays very slowly and seems to
have an injurious effect on most crop
plants.
The timber growth, which occurs on
practically all the land suitable for TIL
lage, must of course be cleared from
the land.
All this work building houses and
barns. draining, clearing land OF moss
and timber-is very slowly accomplished
in the short outdoor working season II
done single handed by the homesteader,
and costly, almost prohibitively so II
hired labor is used, because of the high
wages and living expenses.
Lack OF general transportation which
would open up the country, OF local wag-
on roads, schools, churches, and other
features of present-day life, and OF the
markets in which to sell farm products
and from which to obtain home sup
plies and farm equipment are deterrent
features at present, but they Will DIS
appear in time.
The federal homestead laws extend to
Alaska, excepting that, instead OF i6o
acres, 800 may be filed upon. Very lit
tie of the available land has been sur
viewed. but that work is now in prog
ress. One may locate on unsurveyed
land. file claim, and establish lines by
metes and bounds, but he cannot secure
title until survey has been made
by an authorized surveyor and the sur
vey approved, If the survey IS made IN
advance of that made by the govern
ment. il is done at the expense OF the
homesteaders. and that is heavy.
That Seattle, Wash, is nearer Maine
tnan it is to the extreme western point
of Alaska; that the mean annual tenn
perature of Sitka is about the same
as that of Washington, ID. c.; that Alas
ka has numerous deep, land-locked, ice
free harbors; that the coast line is 30
900 miles long, and that there are 5000
miles of navigable rivers in our north
ern territory: These facts. not generally
known, are brought out in the depart
ment of agrieulture's new bulletin on
Alaska. The extent OF this wonderful
country with its seant population of Co.
600, its mountains, its climate snd its
soils are fully described in the new gov
eminent publication. This can be had
free from the department of agriculture,
bv application for bulletin No. so.