The Nome nugget., 1920-07-10
Fisheries

point or value or annual product anu men employed the fishing industry is the most important of the Territory. It was especially prosperous during the war, the value of its total output increased from $l5,739.06s in 1913 to $5g,144S59 in 1918. The number of employees rose from 24,263,. in 1913 to 31,213 in 1918. Much of the larger part of this output is canned salmon, the value of the cannery output in 1913 being $13,531,6 and $51,04l.943 in 1918. Of the total employees in the fishing industry 1G,513 were employed in the salmon canneries in 1913. and 265O2 in 1918. The canneries are op- erated for only a few months in the labor is imported. The total invest ment in the Alaska salmon canning in- dustry increased from 3l,341 ,67O in 1913 (79 canneries) to $G3.90l,3S7 in 1918 U35 canneries).
 Through the size and value of the Alaska salmon catch overshadows the rest of the fishing industry, yet notable increases were made during the years 1913 to 1918 in the halibut. cod. herring, and other Alaska fisheries.
 The Alaska salmon catch has prob ably reached its maximum and any afYort to :, more extapcive deyelopmep. of these fisheries would lead to their rapid depletion. Given prorer safe. guards against everlasting. the salmon l fishing industry of Alaska can be made l tu .'eld a large and continuous annual | return.
 Dithout drastic protection the Alas
 k;t halibut fisheries and of the adjacent seas will soon be depleted. As many | of the halibut banks lie without the l three- league limit, their protection is only possible by international agree,
 ment.. The herring and cod fisheries l of Alaska are enormous. and the pres.
 ent annual yield is but II fraction of
 the fish that could be produced. There 1 are many other varieties of fish in AL
 laska waters which will eventually ba J developed as part of the commercial !, fisheries.
 Farming And Stock Ra,sinq Alaska contains extensive areas of
 lands suitable for raising the hardier
 grains. including wheat, potatoes, for
 tables. Tests have show that sugar l beets can be matured in the Panama
 and Suistna valleys. and that these
 contain nigh percentage of s'.etr.
 The most promising agricultural fields
 are in the Panama and the Susitn', Valley. both tributary to the Govern ment Railroad. Extensive areas oi agricultural land are also found in
 other parts of the Yukon Basin. and in i coastal regions.
 ! The best developed farming region
 is that tributary to Fairbanks. h, this region there are 102 homesteads with about 1000 acres of land under cvultivation. and with an afiricuhura population of about 250. These farms
 produced in 1919. 60 tons of wheat, 4C i tons of oats, 10 tons of barley. soc tons of hay, 325 tons of potatoes. Gt
 tons of vegetables, and 150 hogs The
 success during the last five years in the raising of wheat has so encouraged
 the Warmers and local business men that they are now building q small flour mill at Fairbanks. There is 3 little dairying at Fairbanks. and in other parts of the Territory, but the
 raising of cattle has not yet been
 greatly developed in connection with
 other farming.
 There are good grazink lands in the
 interior, but the period of winter feed. ing is about months. In the coastal
 region of southwestern Alaska the
 season Is much longer. Cattle were
 introduced on Kodiak and other is-
 lands by the Russians and have beer
 raised ever since. It Is probable that
 there are cattle ranges in southwestern
 Alaska where beef and mutton coult
 be raised for export.
 | Timber Resources The best timber in Alaska. chiefly
 composed of sitka spruce and hemlock
 Is in the Tongass National Park ir southwestern Alasla and in the Chug
 ach National Forest in the Prince Il William Sound region. These twt
 Forests embrace 20.ooo.ooo acres. ap psoximately i've percent of the tota
 area of Alaslka. Between these twt lforests lie about two million acres . timber of similar character. In tn Anterior there is approximately be |