The Cordova daily times., 1919-08-09

tural possibilities of Alaska. I have referred to the Government Experi- mental Station at Sitka, where en- | cOuraging results have been obtained which are detailed at length in the reports, the correctness of which can be attested by visitors who are per mitted to see what can be done in a 1 land where daylight is spread over | periods of months. Growing in the open air may be seen many varieties 1 of flowers of familiar varieties, among them: Azaleas, lilacs, pOppies of ex- 1 tTaordinary size, side by side with un- l obtrusive "forget-me-nOts. I saw no roses, but doubtless they can be grown, for the wild variety seemed to l flourish in the neighborhoOd of many | of the canneries
 l the production of vegetables, but not l enough as yet to suggest the idea that 1 Alaska will ever become a formidable competitor of California. On my re- 1 turn from one of the numerous excur- 1 siOns ashore, which the trip permits, 1 found placed against our staterOOm | door three or four stalks of rheubarb whose dimension when described may | suggest Manchausenism, but are here l by declared to be absolutely true. They were at least five feet in length and were surmounted with leaves if | teen inches in width. I was told that this growth was not exceptional, and that it was exceeded by celery fully six feet long.
 Doubtless the latter statement in no wise exaggerated the facts, for my informant, whose business car ried him to remote parts of the ter ritory, and whose acquaintance with it extends over many years, admitted that it was so brittle it would not bear transportation. He was also re- luctant to testify that the gigantic stalks of hubbard would make as ap- petizing a sauce as the more modest product of this state, but he insisted that no where in the world could such turnips and rutabegas be grown as in Western Alaska. Potatoes are SOggy, but he firmly believes that the tuber can be acclimated, and that spuds of a good quality will some day be produced and render Alaska inde- penent of the outside world.
 At present the territory is wholly dependent upon outsiders for just those vegetables. The forward deck of the Evans and all the available space elsewhere on the ship was filled with crates and boxes, all of them consigned from California There were oranges, cantalOUpes, cherries, apricots, etc, in considerable Quanti- ties consigned to the towns and to the canneries lining the inland wat CTS of our possession which was once 4ssumed to be no better than an ice berg but which has since it's purchase by Seward shown that it is rich in other resources which may be ex- changed for the products of lands situated nearer the equator.
 Among the products of California shipped to Alaska in considerable quantities may be mentioned eggs and chickens. The boxes and crates bear ing them all bore the names of Peta- luna shippers. The chickens ap- peared to be fancy stock, but was as- sured that they were destined to meet the demands of the Chinese workers in the canneries who under prosper Ous conditions develop decided taste for brOilers, and also used by them for sacrifcial purposes.
 If the Chinese are so fond of chicken I asked, ''Why don't they raise them up here?" Tt would be a profitable pursuit if they did not re- quire so much attention" he replied. Then he added for my information that ''the poor things cannot be taught to go to roost while daylight lasts, and they actually wear themselves out waiting for roasting time" The only way to break their disposition to keep on the job of scratching was to drive them into darkened GOODS at fixed in tervals, and release them after they had obtained a sufficient rest to re- sume their labor. It may be remark ed, incidentally, that the chickens Of Alaska appear to be the only things scratching for living nowadays that seem unconcerned whether they work more or less than eight hours daily.
 But people don't go to Alaska to study the habits of chickens or to 1n-
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