The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-01-28
AN UNDEVELOPED EMPIRE
Immense Possibilities and BoundIess
Resources of the Great
Territory OF Alaska

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topography, soil and climate deter
mine the matter, Alaska has proba-
bly, 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 drainage, ac-
cording to the department of agri-
cultures new bulletin entitled Pos
sible Agricultural Development of
Alaska
Currants, raspberries, gooseber-
ries, 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 started its work at its
two most northern experiment sta
tons. The department has four sta
tions; one is on the Yukon within Is
miles Of the Arctic Circle, another is
also in the interior. while there is
one in the southeastern and another
in the southwestern portion of the
territory.
/ 1t has been positively demonstrat-
ed that forage crops may be grown
lin the southwestern and central por-
lions as well as potatoes and other
garden vegetables. Chicken raising
is also proving feasible It has also
been estimated that great number
Of farm products are shipped in that
might easily be raised on the ground.
/ The new bulletin on Alaska, while
citing so many optimistic facts, also
warns the homesteader that there
fare many difficulties to be encounter
ed.
i On the south coast, where the eli
mate is mild, tillable land is scarce,
because of the proximity of the
mountains to the shore line; else
where in Alaska the winters are long
and very cold and frost-proof build
ings must be provided for shelter of
family and stock.
The ground freezes to a great
depth and there is but short pc
Rod during which this can thaw, and
the surface is covered with an accu-
mutation of undecayed moss and
: other vegetable matter serving as a
!: protection to the frost and reser-
voir for moisture. The frost line
under natural conditions sinks but a
! fe wfeet during a season, and the
! thawed layer is usually a morass OF
! muck in all portions of Alaska
where tillage is possible. This con-
dition makes land travel almost out
{ | of the question during the summer
until wagon roads shall have been
built, and these must be largely oil
/ the corduroy type. Meantime the
| farm home must generally be located
| close to naVigable water.
II The swampy character of much oil
the surface of Alaska makes it q
great breeding ground for mosque
toes and gnats, which are almost in.
tolerable pests to both man and
beast. 1t also makes drainage a pre-
requisite in order to remove the sur.
plus water so that the land can be
worked, raise the temperature of the
. surface soil, lower the frost line, ia
], cilitate the decay of the accumulated
organic matter, and bring about
chemical changes which will trans
form the soil from a very acid condi
ton to one much less so. Nature
|: requires much time for this last pro
|; cess.
Where the vegetable accumula
items are largely moss, this must bt
destroyed, either by burning or BY
carting it from the land, for if pillow
I ed under it decays very slowly anG
seems, to have an injurious effect or
most crop plants.
The timber growth, which occur:
on practically all the land suitable
for tillage, must. of course, be clear
ed from the land.
All this work-building house!
and barns, draining, clearing land Of
moss and timber-is very slowly &C
complished in the short outdoor
dorking season if done single-handet
, by the homesteader, and costly, al
most prohibitively so if hired labor
lis used, because of the high wage:
and living expenses.
Lack of general transportation
which would open up the country, o.
local wagon roads, schools, churches
and other features of present-day
life, and Of the markets in which tt
sell farm products and from which tt
obtain home supplies and farm
equipment are deterrent features a
present, but they will disappear il
I, time.
IL The federal homestead laws ex