Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-10-15

to be eaten with stuffing
During my stay in the Tanana valley
have asked the farmers and agricultural ex-
perts som questions as to the farming con-
dtions. They are altogether different from
those of most parts of the United States
proper. Fairbanks is more than one hum
dred miles south of the arctic circle, and the
growing season is short, ranging from three
to four months, and extending in favorable
seasons perhaps half month longer The
glast spring frosts occur about the middle of
May, and frosts begin again during the lat
ter part of August or first of September.
There is really no darkness in midsummer,
and the long sunlight adds to the growth OF
the crop. June, July and August are warm,
the thermometer sometimes going to 90
degrees.
The winters are cold in the Tanana valley
the mean temperature in January being
about 20 degrees below zero. The thermom-
eter ranges from the freezing point to 90 or
20 degrees below zero during December,
January and February. After the freeze-up,
which begins about the last of October,
there is steady cold weather from then until
May. The ground is frozen as hard as
rock; quiet bodies of water become ice to
depth of six feet; and there is from three to
six feet of ice on the lakes and the streams
The Yukon has three or four feet of ice The
streams are then the sled roads; and travel is
easier than % the summer. The ice and
snow begin to melt in April and early May
The small streams flow into the larger ones,
raising the ice sheet so that it is torn away
from the shore. 1t breaks into pieces and
starts on its way to the sea, the cakes of ice
grinding against one another. and piling up
in great masses. AS they go on they carry
every movable thing in their path. This
movement lasts for week or so, when the
streams clear and the boats start out from
their winter quarters.
The Tanana valley is land of scanty rain
fall. Heavy showers are almost unknown.
1t drizzles often in summer, and much of the
rain is during the growing season. The
yearly average is about 10 or IL inches of
water, including the snow OF the winter
Added to the moisture from the skies, is that
from the strata of perpetual ice, which is
found from eight inches to yard below the
surface of the ground. When the land is
cultivated this gradually nelts,. making the
soil deeper and deeper from year to year.
until at last the ice has no effect on the
crops
The soil is fairly fertile. Some of that
about Fairbanks grows 200 bushels of pota-
toes per acre without manure. When the
woods are cut down the native red-top
springs up There is pasture everywhere in
the summer. The best lands are the gently
sloping hills, composed of fine silt, sand
and gravel The most of the soil is sandy
The very best is the Fairbanks silt loan, OF
which there are altogether a half million
acres in the Tanana valley.
/ close this letter by warning the would
be settler That cutting farm from the forest
and dragging it out of the ice is no baby job.
1t is better suited to men of from 20 to 80
than those over 90. The first year or so will
be full of hard work, and the homesteader
should bring along enough money to keep
himself and his family during that time.
Practically all the land needs clearing A
cabin will have to be built, and garden
patch cut out of the woods. A log barn will
be needed; and if possible, dollhouse
should be erected. The most of the work
will have to be done by the farmer and his
family. Wages are high common hand
gets S. or So day and board, or, if hired
right along, from $500 to ST SO month. Mr.
Rickert pays his "lady cook SIS month
and her board A servant who does general
homework will want $40 or $12 week, and
women who come in to help on wash days
and sweeping days will charge from so cents
to Is cents an hour. These are the wages in
Fairbanks The result is that most of the
women do their own work. hiring help only