The Seward gateway and the Alaska evening post., 1917-10-10
Has Some Drawbacks

stances, wheat.
 Has Some Drawbacks
 "Naturauy farming there has its drawbacks the same as is true of any country. The greatest present scourge is the swarms of mosquitoes during the warm months. These, however will gradually disappear as the coun- try becomes settled. The land must be cleared of its timber, which costs from S75 to $2OO per acre, since the moss also must be gotten rid of. Dur ing dry season a fire will run along the moss, and fell all the trees, with out the labor of cutting them down, and they are then piled up and burned and the moss afterwards scraped off and burned. The timber is ruthless Iy sacrificed owing to the near pres ence of coal for fuel purposes. Sev- eral farmer residents intend to buy a small plant, to cost about $500, to utilize some of the best timber for making boxes in which to ship to mar let vegetables and berries. The boxes could be made in the winter time when there is little else to do and would save them a considerable item of ex- pense.
 Present Need Is Good Roads
 "Al farm produce raised finds a ready sale in Anchorage and to the government railroad commission. The greatest present need is a system of good roads for feeders to the railroad, so that farm machinery may be got ten to the fields and the produce talk en to the market. Most of the farm CTS are single men who are ambitious to become independent. If they could secure wives to share their hardships, it would help almost as much as good roads. And, really, the hardships are nothing compared with those of the early settlers in western states, whilst the rewards are much richer.
 "A petition has been circulated and signed by the farmers asking the gov ernment to limit the number of acres that must be cultivated before home stead rights can issue.
 Lack of Funds
 Several of the farmers told the writer that lack of funds to buy seed and necessary farming implements greatly handicap them. They thought that if the government would adopt a plan of loaning each homesteader even the nominal sum of $50 for each acre cleared, it would prove a great boon. Since it costs more than that to clear the land, the government could not possibly lose anything.
 Moreover, every possible encour- agement should be given the pioneer ranchers who, above every other in- dustrial class, will make the govern ment railroad paying investment.
 "As stated, Matanuska forms but a small portion of the farming area trib- utary to Anchorage and Seward and stations on the government railroad and for boats plying Cook inlet Slop, ing to the waters of Cook inlet on al- most every side are great tracts of rich soil. A good portion of the Susit- ma valley contains excellent soil. Lack of transportation now makes these large tracts unavailable. However launches are beginning to develop set dement's along the shores of Cook in- let, and the government railroad, in another year, ought to traverse a good portion of the Susitna valley. Mean time the development of the coal fields, of metal mining in Willow creek and other districts, of manufacturing and numbering, of fishing and the utilization of it's by-products will ere ate a growing market for all the farm i produce that can be raised.
 Wonderful Empire
 "The Cook inlet section is indeed a wonderful empire more rich in natural resources than some of the western ! ~l-4 l4 sL .-.11 ,..-.,,s,.. t;,,,o ,,,J J