Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-05

that OF the best parts of the United
| States"
! The best soil of our Middle West"
| replied Professor Georgeson, can be
! duplicated In very few places on earth.
doubt whether Alaska has any agri-
| cultural area equal to that The coun-
| try has no prairie lands, and there
| are no extensive bodies of uniform
! quality. Still. some parts OF the coun-
| try are excellent for farming. The
salt loan of the Tanana Valley Will
| compare in productireness with some
OF the best soil to he found elsewhere,
anu we have at 'sc Fairbanks station
land that Is eNce!led only by the rich
prairie soils of the Middle West. That
land is Il light loan OF grayish
color. 1t is sandy, but free from gravel
and 1t holds the moisture. 1t can be
easily worked. We have been grow
ing wheat upon 1t at the rate of fifty
bushels to the acre, and we have had
average yields of sixty bushels of oats.
There are good lands In the Matanuska
and Susitna valleys, and, in fact, there
are tens of millions OF acres that
can be made into farms"
The conversation here turned to the
grains OF Alaska, and l asked Professor
| lieorScson what grains could be sue
| ccsSfnliy raised during the short sum
mer season. lie replied:
We are now ripening all OF the
leading grains At our interior expert
m,nt stations. During 1915 We ma
turcd and harvested on our fam at
Fairbanks 1900 bushels of grain, com
prising wheat, rye. barley and oa,s, il
IS true that these were made up OF tho
earliest and hardest varieties but the
development OF varieties suitable to
the country Is one of the tasks OF the
experiment stations. With that in View
". have made a number OF crosses AMI
l ,l,l
promising hybrids. We are raising
earlier and more productive barleys
! than the best we nave been able to ma
tur" In more southern attitudes, and We
! nave dwarf spring wheat that is
very early. II came from AN expert
7 heiIt station in siberia. II is only a
matter OF time when We shall get one
I or more varieties OF wheat that Will
mature in Alaska and be productive
enough 10 make il worth cultivating
we are now making many experiment
:'s To winter rye. and arc succeeding
we ar" also experimenting with win
ter wheat. and think VIC shall eventu-
! ally produce all the grains for both
NpuT and feed that Will be needed by
The people who inhabit the territory,
ana thai as freight rates fall IL NAV
even pay TO cxport grain to the States
, terror Of the country. Fccd-Eratn
brings $40 a ton IT Fairbanks and $40;
at Eamrar,."
Where Will he the farming center
OF Alaska"
Ihcrc VIII be many such" said Pro
lessor Gcorrcson. Farms will spring
up about every important mining set
'iement Fairbanks is the largest OF
IL" Sold camps to-day. and that region
mas the most and best farmers Since
me government has decided TO build tho
railroad 200 or 300 families have To-
C",eo hoinesteads In tho Matnnuska
valley with view TO supplying tho
demands OF the coal mines OF thar
region. There are number OF suc-
c"ssthl farms In the ncighborhood Of
seward and many small farms abont
juneau. which is another mining CEN
yer or great Importance There are
Ht'ie farms scattered throughout this
part o, the territory ana Indeed
Wherever thcr. il a local market Won
VIII ana farm center These centcrs
VIII enlarge and az new settlements
are established other farms VIII M.
ohchcd up, and Alaska vii! become =
great ana p"puious state"
Would YOU advise Americana IN
| come 70 Alaska to engage In farming p,
Yes. II they understand the condi-