The Cordova daily times. [volume] (Cordova, Alaska) 1914-1947, 1919-03-18
PRACTICAL AID
FOR FARMERS
OF TERRITORY

ANCHORAGE, March 1S. Fifty
thousand dollars should be set aside
as federal fund from which loans
could be made to Alaska farmers to
enable them to buy livestock, agri-
cultural implements and machinery,
suggests Andrew Christensen, man.
ager of the land and Industrial de-
partment of the Alaskan engineering
commission, in an official report to
William c. Edes, chairman of the COM
mission. The yields of root crops
greatly exceed in quantity the demand
of local markets, and such products
cannot be shipped at a profit to dist
ant places, so Mr. Christensen urges
that farmers be aided and encouraged
to direct their efforts to meat, butter,
cheese, eggs, milk and dairy products.
Twelve to fifteen years experience
with agriculture in Alaska" he says,
has demonstrated that the Alaska
soils will produce all kinds of root
crops, such as potatoes, turnips, car
rots, radishes, lettuce, cabbage, ETC.,
and that there is now grave danger OF
over-production in this class of prod
ucts. During the season of 1917 there
was an over-production of several
hundred tons of potatoes and turnips
in the Matanuska valley, considerable
Of which went to waste because of the
lack Of market. 1t is, therefore, of
the utmost importance that diversified
farming be Immediately undertaken;
otherwise many farmers will give up
in despair and leave the territory. 1t
has also been demonstrated that oats,
barley and rye, when properly cured,
make excellent feed for stock. These
small grains can be also matured. The
farmers in the Tanana valley have
matured wheat and it will not be long
before sufficient wheat will be raised
in the Interior to supply -four. How
ever, there cannot be full development
of the agricultural resources of the
territory until all branches of agri-
culture are thoroughly established.
In order to encourage diversified
farming it will be necessary for the
government to render aid in some
way. If the stock and dairy industry
can be encouraged it will have a tend
ency to make Alaska self-supporting,
a situation which is very much de-
sired. This will result in holding in
the territory twenty million dollars or
more which is now paid by the people
OF Alaska to the producers and COM
mission houses in the States, and in
the cost of freight from the States to
Alaska. This money can then be used
by the farmers in improving their
farms and in the upbuild;ng of other
industries in the territory Not only
would this result in retaining money
in the territory, but it would make
living conditions there better At
present nearly all meat, butter,
cheese, eggs, milk and dairy products
of that kind are imported and conse-
quently it is not as fresh or whole
some as if it were supplied locally
Diversified farming would encourage
the development of the agricultural
lands and the establishment of perma-
nent homes. The people of Alaska
would then become more firmly at
tached to the SOIL They would be
encouraged to bring in and raise their
families in the territory because of
being able to live on fresh products
from the farms instead of living on
canned and cold storage foods, as is
largely the case today. In other
words, the people of Alaska would be
able to live as we'll there as the peo-
pie in the States, which will have a
large influence in establishing a per-
manent population, instead of the I'M
stable and migratory one of the
present
Congress is at present rendering
financial aid to the Indians through
out the United States. The policy of
the government advancing money for
the purchase of seeds, animals, ma
chinery, tools, implements and other
equipment to the Indians has resulted
in encouraging the development OF
agricultural lands and many Of the
Indians are now self-supporting It