New Britain herald., 1921-03-02
REINDEER BECOME1
 FACTOR IN FOODS
In Scandinavia It Sells Higher
 Than Beef


 Claus reindeer have promise of be- coming factor in the meat supply of this country as they are in Scan dinaNia, where reindeer meat last year sold at n higher price than beef or mutton.
 And the government is going to aid in putting the infant industry of Alaska on its feet by experiments in increasing the reinoeers weight to about double its present average, sci entifically breeding them, locating ranges and scientifically studying their disease parasites and grazing problems. Provision is made in the agricultural appropriation bill of this year for that purpose.
 Dr. r.. V. Nelson, chief of the bio logical survey. in urging the appro- priation told Congress there are about -00.00o reindeer in Alaska, of which about three fourth belong to the ma tives and about one-fourth to the gov ernment and to white owners who have started commercial industry in reindeer growing for meat. These reindeer multiplied from an original importation of 1,2S0 animals made 2S years ago. for the benefit of the Eslimos
 People have asked me what the future of the industry is likely to be-" said pr. Nelson. II. have replied by asking them the question: If l,2So reindeer in 2S years produced the present 20o,000 animals, what IS like ly to be the increase from 100000 animals in the next 2S years? The increase is almost unbelievable. In other words, the industry, property handled. should have great future.
 ''rhc Alaskan firm which has start ed the industry exported 1.6OO head to Seattle last year. They have estah- lished four small cold storage plants at points on the Alaskan coast, where the reindeer can readily be driven down for slaughter to be refrigerated and loaded for shipment. I have re- gently been studying the possibilities of the Alaskan reindeer industry when well developed. beiieFe Alaska contains available range to maintain from four to five million reindeer. The estimate has been made that it would take care Of 1o,0oo,ooo' but I think that is too high.
 Five million reindeer would give an output of about 1.250,G0O reindeer a tear. Dressed for market one now averages 150 pounds. Taking this weight and the present value or rem deer meat. the fully developed rem deer industry in Alaska should Sleio approximately S43,eOO,O0O year. Reindeer have been in Alaska 2S years and their increase under crude methods of handling has been almost startling. Under proper scientihc su- pervision and modern methods the industry should develop very rapidly.
 .'There are big herds of wild carl bou about the Mount Mckinley re- zion. some bulls of which dress up 10 about 400 pounds. We plan to cap ture some bulls of this stock ana use them with an experimental herd or reindeer cows for the purpose or building up a higher grade or rem deer. having greater weight ana m creased hardness. I believe It Will he practicable in less than ten years to have the reindeer of Alaska run ming from 25o to 300 pounds 10 the carcass. instead of 15o pounds as at nresent. The increased weight would increase the value of the fully de- yeIoped Alaska reindeer lndustfH enough to bring the potential output around s60,000,0 at present values. ,rh,.. ;s more than the fisheries or Alaska produce.
 "Stefansson, the Arctic explorer. was here recently. He is intefesteo in the lease granted by the Canadlah government for a great area TOT rem deer grazing in Baffins Bay region lie informed me that in the ScandinaV'ah n countries of Europe about 2oe.ooo reindeer are killed for meat each year.
 we are talking about helping to huild up Alaska. and here IS one thing that is right in sight tooay, a fine. big industry for Alaska, ana do not know of any other like It in the immediate future. The ruture looks so promising that the eSpendi- ture which we contemplate IS triii'hS compared with what the outcome '> nil.nI fo he