Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-03-23


climate determine the matter,
Alaska has probably 100000
square miles of area on which there
are possibilities for forming and graz
ing. The larger portion of the farm
ing land is in the interior, in the Yu-
kon drainage.
Currants, raspbeIries, gooseberries,
Strawberries. blueberries, and cram
berries are plentiful in Alaska. Some
varieties of wheat, oats, rye, barley,
potatoes and many other vegetables
have matured every season since the
United States department of agricul-
ture starred its work. The department
has four stations one is on the Yukon
within % 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 demonstrated
that forage crops may be grown in the
southwestern and central portions as
well as potatoes and other garden
vegetables. Chicken raising is also
proving feasible. 1t has also been es-
timated that great number OF farm
products are shipped in that might
easily be raised on the ground.
A recently issued bulletin on Alaska,
while citing many optimistic facts, al
so warns the homesteader that there
are many difficulties to be eneeun-
tered.
On the south coast, where the eli
mate is mild, tillable land is scarce,
because of the proximity of the noun
tains TO the shore line; elsewhere in
Alaska the winters are long and very
cold and frost-proof buildings must be
provided for shelter of family and
stock.
The ground freezes to a great depth
and there is but short period during
which this can thaw, and the surface
is covered with an accumulation of UNI
decayed moss and other vegetable ma
terial serving as a protection TO the
frost and a reservoir for moisture. The
frost line under natural conditions
sinks h;.:tt :. Few feet during Il season,
and The thawed layer is usually a
morass of muck in all portions of Alas
ka where tillage is possible. This con-
dition makes land travel almost out
of the question during the summer UNI
til wagon roads shall have been built,
and these must be largely of the cor
duroy type. Meantime the farm home
must generally be located close TO nav
igable water.
The swampy character of much of
the surface of Alaska makes ii great
breeding ground for mosquitoes and
gnats, which are almost intolerahie
pests to both man and beast. 1t also
makes drainage a prerequisite in or
der to remove the surplus water so
that the land can be worked, raise the
temperature of the surface soil,
lower the frost line, facilitate the de-
cay of the accumulated organic mat
ter, and bring about chemical changes
which will transform the soil from a
very acid condition to one much less
so. Nature requires much time for
this last process.
where Jlle NCSttdulS dNtuihuiatiViAo
are largely moss, this must be de-
stroyed, either by burning or by cart
ing it from the land, for if plOwed un-
der it decays very slowly and seems
TO have an injurious effect on most
crop plants.
The timber growth, which occurs on
practically all the land suitable for
tillage, must, of course, be cleared
from the land.
All this work-building houses and
barns, draining, clearing land of moss
and timber, is very slowly accom-
plished in the short outdoor working
season if done single handed by the
homesteader, and costly, almost pro-
hibitively so, if. hired labor is used,
because of the high wages and living
expenses.
Lack OF general transportation
which would open up the country. of
local wagon roads, schools, churches,
and other features Of present-day life,
and of the markets in which to sell
farm products and from which to OBJ
tain home supplies and farm equip
ment are deterrent features at pres
emf. but they will disappear in time.
The federal homestead laws extend
TO Alaska, excepting that, instead of
100 acres, 800 may be filed upon. Very