Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-13
What Alaska Offers
~ Frederic !. Itaskin

possible, and about . hundred thou
aand square miles of rich agricultural
and grazing land are there 20 be had
for the taking by settlers who are
willing 60 brave a somewhat difficult
climate
One OF ths scientists connected with
the Government agricultural e1peri
neut stations in Aiaska IL here for
few days and that ls the word he
brings. n you are looking for
chance to get farm uf your own with
out any considerable capital. Alaska
offers you thai chance.
Nearly everybody nowadays knows
that Alaska ia not q snow covered, ice
bound waste all the year round Not
- many realize the wonderful possi-
bilities Of this far northern territory
I'm its summer season This Govern
meut acisntist brings word that Alaska
could be practically self supporting 20
far az ordinary farm products go
Right now. the majority ~ the stand
ard ffuits. vegetables. and grains are
grown there 20 some extent ffa says
that what Alaska needs is more settlers
with the spirit ~ pluck and willing
nees ~ work 10 develop its farm lands
Few People.
Here. he says. is a country with
$4,000 inhabitants spread over nearly
600 600 square miles This population
would be iost tn a corner ~ New York
city n r. about the nunbar ~
people that live IN Atlantic CITY.
Topeka, Eabaas. or Bethlehem. Penn
aylvania Scattered over this country
are about 500 hufneateaders, working
tracts II + SO ~ 320 acras, ahd there re-
main 10000 square miles II Land
the size # an average state which
could be uned for practical farming
about half fer farm land snd the other
half for grazing
The land then. Is there And the
Government ia maintaining 6ye sTri
cultural experiment citations In Ala sKa
whore all sorts n experiments are CON
Quoted 70 help farmers Farming in
this latitude presents different din
eulties from farming IN the states
potatoes can he raised in Ala ska and
cauliHower. beams. stra yrt1erries, apples
lettuce. and any number ~ other r.
rniliar Foods But you cannot take any
kind n strawberry plant. for instance.
and expect 70 get Grrn sweet berries
The strawberry illustrates very wall
what II Ueans To adapt a product n ?
temperate climate n conditions IN thc
Ear north The experiment station At
sltEa has made 3 .Doo tests with straw
berries in order to find varieties really
suited 70 Alaska n make the sx
perimenfs the two wiid strawberries
native t. Alaska we're crossed with
different hardy varieties of the culfi-
/ vated stra wberrY Nine-tenths If the
plants proved too frsiI for the climate.
er produced soft Or lnslpid fruit These
+ n Ffn.I - - rFN
/ tenth al but three or four in every
| hundred were also di~csrdad az not
altogether satisfactory. leaving the
/ best product 50 far &c color. flavor and
size Of the berries was concerned This
/ il a zood example Of b0w the agri-
/ eulturai problems are worked out foF
/ arctic and near arctic regions
Long and extensive experiments have
+ beeu conducted to f1d grains sufF7C lant-
+ ly hardy and swift In growth for plant
f ing. growth and harvest ~ be
I crowded into the brieg Alaskan sum
Hner II seems 10 be impossible to
/ intake grain more hardy by p process
/ NJ selection That IT, when the
I Government agents took a few seeds
from ths best grain one year and plant
ad them the next. and again took the
est II the harvest snd planted that,
- 50 or for several years. theTe was
+ uo Improvement In the strain. as there
z~oujd he IN Some vegetables
The only Eay to produce grain hardy
+ enough FOR the climate is TO cross the
4 variouz strong varisties and try them
out As q result If experiment along
+ tbs line. spring wheat that runs "a
/ bushels 10 the acre rye taller than a
/ laan and Ii number If successful va
/ roties ~ barley and cats nave been
I produced in Alaska.
/ The First Flour vim.
Alaska could be absolutely indspend-
+ eut eo far "a hTeadstuifs are concerned
/ The Government agent tells us And
alaska il slowly gaining this indie
/ pendsncs A four mill--the first II
.siaska has been established in Fair
banks. SO 'hat il is no longer neces
sary 70 get flour from Seattle aGd z
/ pay heavy freight on It.
As for Independence along other linel
! Of food5tuns. Alaska may attain tha
aIso - q reasonable degree. Practi
/ ,alIy every standard vegetable can b'
grown IN the bsst farming localities o.
the euutry. The ma iority Of the fr,utl
hate been successfully produced
.stroug breeds II cattle and sheep are
stations. At a recent banquet n Fair
hanks, tho eonq qaest ri The soil bl
Alaska vas shown hy having the en
tire menu Of home grown products.
These are the srae signs II progress
The difficulties of life n the far uOrti
are mainly the climate. and hen lack O
transportation ard bired labor. Trans
portatioa prospects are improving now
that the railroad from Seward 70 Fair
banks is weiI under way. with chanc.
e being completed next rear Farm
help is stu scarce because q large pro
portion Of the 10000 men who ,=f
Alaska for war service have not re-
turned
Climate Not so Severe.
Climate remains the big problem x
Is, met in life in this part Of the world
What the honesteader can raise IT
hls garden. how he can market surplu,
products, whether he lives in coufor
or misery. der 1nds on mis- understa nd
ing Of the climate and how 20 adap
himself 70 it. Temperature and humid
ity are so widely varied In this terri
tory that It is difficult 70 describe n,
Alaslx n weather conditions as a whole
At Sitka the Thermometer rarely zoe
70 zero. and the winters are not muci
colder than those in Washington. =
/ & At Fairha nks, on the other hand
so degrees below zero is not unknown
Thus is the sort OF weather whicI
typifles Alaska to most people. and /
is the fear Of encountering months o
unbrokan cold that makes many 2