East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-01-27
REINDEER INDUSTRY
PAYING PROPOSITION
GOVERNMENT SAYS THAT BUSI-
NESS WOULD PAY WELL. IN
ALASKAN FIELDS.
Department of Agriculture states
That Large Herds Could BE Cared
for in the North-Opcning of Alas
ka Through Railroads would make
Business Profitable.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27.--There
are not fewer than $4,000 demesticat-
ed reindeer in Alaska today, according
to estimates of the department of ag-
riculture. This means that the rein
deer industry is one of the largest in
Alaska at this time, and more strin-
gent government measures should be
taken to prevent the rapid destruction
of these animals. The industry under
scientific management should develop
rapidly, according to experts, and the
present herds form a very promising
basis upon which great industry may
be built.
1t appears that there have been in
stances of oss-breeding domesticated
reindeer and the native wild caribou
1t is thought that the blood Of the
latter could be used to good advantage
in building up the reindeer herds. At
present the domesticated deer seem
to decrease in size and otherwise de-
generate because of the lack of care
full selection of breeding animals. The
caribou are superior in size and vigor
but are not of SO wild a nature as
to make their domestication impracti
cable.
That portion of Alaska which offers
the fewest agricultural opportunities
is the region best suited to the rein
deer. So the industry may be devel-
oped without encroaching on other
lines of farming. The existence Of
white reindeer moss in all the Arctic
region of Alaska permits the occu-
pancy of vast regions that would 9TH
erwise be uninhabitable. The rein
deer subsist mainly on this native her
bage.
They require no shelter and little
to keep them from wandering. The
meat is of excellent quality and the
skins are valuable. In Europe the
deer are used for dairy and transpor-
tation purposes, and while little at
tempt has thus far been made in our
territory along these lines, there are
possibilities of similar development
At present the individual owner
ship of reindeer is principally restrict
ed to Eskimos and Indians. Some OF
the missions still possess herds and
there are few government herds. No
breeding deer may be sold to whites.
The Alaska division of the bureau of
education has supervision of all herds
the teachers of the government school
for pative children located nearest a
herd having immediate charge.
Besides the promising status of the
reindeer industry in the Arctic pos.
session, cattle and sheep raising. fruit
raising and the problems of the home
steader in the far north are extensive
ly treated in the department of agri-
cultures new bulletin Possible Ag-
ricultural Development in Alaska"
According to the Investigators
there are unsurpassed cattle and sheep
raising lands to be found on the Alas
kan islands and in certain places near
the shore on the mainland. Winter
forage for cattle and sheep is provid-
ed largely from the native grasses,
both hay and silage being made. The
practicability of raising stock. how
ever, except in small herds, close to
individual farms, has not been suffi-
ciently investigated to warrant more
than an intimation of its possibilities.
There are serious obstacles to be con-
sidered: the long Winters. boggy land
mosquitoes and carniverous animals
These objections. however, do not in
terfere seriously with the reindeer in
dustry.