Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-05-09

SOIL. 1t must be removed. thus making
the clearing OF land slow and ex-
pensive process. Other agricultural
problems encountered are the short
dition Of the ground for much of the
year, the small amount of moisture
and the pest of rabbits.
Attacking these problems, the expert
ment stations have gathered much VAL
liable information and have developed
a number Of new strains Of plants al
most perfectly adapted to weather con-
ditions in the country. BY hybridiza-
ton new barleys have been produced
that mature earlier, stand more erectly
ard have better heads than any varie-
ties brought in from the outside. All
the barleys matured seeds under the
weather conditions of 1918, the most
trying that have been met with in the
interior since records have been kept
Some Of the most promising types are
beardless. which makes possible their
use for hay
So successful have been the expert
ments with the barleys that the work
of their development la considered al
most complete, and special attention is
now being turned to the production OF
hardy wheats and other grains. Much
successful work has been done already.
Even with the abnormally early arrival
of killing frosts in 1919 two varieties
Of spring wheat, one of winter wheat.
all the early varieties of oats and two
varieties of winter rye matured It Ia
of all these grains can be secured that
may be depended on to mature every
year.
One Of the important pieces of work
Of the stations has been toward the de-
ve1opment of alfalfas adapted to
growth in Alaska. Even in 1913 sew
eraf varieties matured seeds and the
plants that had been growing for two
years developed their first root nodulea.
In this is seen the promise of crop
ment of livestock industry through
out much of the interior. and at the
same time will help to maintain soil
fertility.
The stations have also proved that
potatoes not only can be successfully
produced in abundance and at a hand
some profit. The Alaskan potatoes
keep better than those shipped from the
states. and in the most unfavorable
years approximately 100 bushels per
acre have been produced. The stations
thrive in Alaska as well. If not better.
than in the states. In this class are
cabbage. caulif1ower. carrots. turnips,
rutabagas. beets. parsnips. radishes,
lettuce and spinach. Rhubarb. wax
beans and peas may be grown. and
abundance, though they seldom will
ripen.
All this has been accomplished in a
country where maturity must be
reached in a growing season extending
from planting time between May l and
May rs to the period Of severe frosts
in late August or early September Be-
cause the frozen conditions during the
long winters retard chemical changes
In the soil best results can be obtained,
patches of land to lie unused for sea-
son, il possible. Alfalfa will improve
these conditions. it is believed, by in
Producing soil bacteria and improving
fertility. They think. however. that it
will also be found profitable to use
Getting new land into shape for cul-
tivation has been found by the sta
tons to be very expensive. Clearing
costs have been found to range from
800 to 5000 per acre. Day labor costs
in the nefghborhood of Sc a day This
is not SO exorbitant as it seems at
first, for all counting is done in big
figures in Alaska. Potatoes at their
cheapest have sold for cents pound
and hay sells in the field for $45 ton
products are proportionately high.
The Office OF markets of the Depart
ment of Agriculture is beginning this
year a work that aims
The Berry eventually to place the
1f..l..A, scattered berry growers
in the various berry pro-
favorable a position for entering the
markets as that occupied by the great
and wealthy private shipping associa-
tions that deal with other fruit crops,
notably oranges
The function being assumed by the
ONCE OF markets is virtually that of a
clearing house of market Information
for the benefit of the various large and
small berry shipping associations of
the country. who have heretofore had
TO guess or gamble on market condi-
have been made for sending to Wash
ington by telegraph information on the
movement of car lots of berries from
important shipping points, their desti-
nations and the changes of destination
II any. With the northward advance of
the berry season these messages are
now arriving at the Agricultural De-
partment in increasing numbers
AZ the same time other correspond
ents OF the office in the consuming
arrivals Of car lots Of berries in their
territories. and market prices. The
office of markets briefly summarizes
the information from both sources and
telegraphs 1t collect to all shipping as
sociations desiring to receive it. When
this service is built up, for the price
Of short telegram daily, the individ-
ual shippers and shipping associations
may receive Information that is OBJ
tanned by the big fruit shipping asso-
Citations only at the cost of thousands
OF dollars for salaries in numerous
cities. They may keep .ntelligently in
formed by the service. Of conditions in
kets.
A large part Of the information being
gathered by the office of markets is
secured on a cooperative basis. Infor-
nation as to the starting and routing
OF car lots Of berries is supplied by
tons. and information as to market
conditions, by persons in the principal
markets who are most interested in
the strawberry deal"
The new market service is confined
just now to Strawberries, but the Office
Of markets plans to extend it as rap
idly as possible to tomatoes, peaches
and cantaloupes in car lots. The COM
plete success of the service and the
economical distribution of the berry
crop will depend very largely on the
continued cooperation and assistance
of the transportation companies, Off
Gals of the ONCE of markets say
The office has been working toward
the establishment of its berry market
service since early in 1914. when it
began the collection of data as to the
1918 crop. This it followed up with a
current study of the 1914 season, and
has just completed the most compre-
strawberry crop that has ever been
made. and which lists the cars of ber-