Pueblo chieftain., 1921-01-13
BY Frederic j. Haskin

washington, d. c., Jan. lV'-bcncfh' a.
farming in Alaska has been proven
possible, and about a hundred thou
sand square miles of rich agricultural
and grazing land are there to be had
for the taking by eettlers VINO are
willing to brave a somewhat ditficu!t
climate.
One of the scientists connected with
the government agricultural expert
ment stations in Alaska is hero for a
few days, and that is tho word he
brings. If you are looking for chance
to get farm of your own without any
considerable capital. Alaska offers you
that chance.
Nearly everybody nowadays knows
that Alaska is not u snow-coNercd, ice-
bound waste all the year round Not so
many realize the wonderful possioil-
tiles of this far northern territory IN
scientist brings word that Alaska could
be practically self-supporting so far as
ordinary farm products go. Right nov :
the majority of the standard iruits'
vegetables. and grains are grown thcrc
to some extent He says that what
spirit OF pluck and Willingness 10
work to develop its farm lands
Few People
Here, he says. is a country with oO,-
900 inhabitants spread over nearly oVv'
600 square miles. This populanon "ouia
be lost in a corner Of New YORK CITY.
1t is about tho number of people that
live in Atlantic City: Topeka, Kansas .
or bethlehem, Pennsylvania. scattered
over this country are about go nome
steaders, working tracts OF 100 or S-o
ai
miles Of land-the size OF an average
state-which could he used FOR prac-
tical farming, about half for farm land.
and the other half for graxinS.
Tho land. then, is there. And the
government is maintaining hVo aSri-
cultural experiment stations in Aiasha'
where all sorts of experiments are con-
Quoted TO help farmers. Farming in
this latitude presents different diff
culties from farming IN the states.
Potatoes can be raised in Alaska. and
cauliflowcr, beans, strawoerries, ap-
Piles. lettuce, and any number OF other
familiar foods. But you cannot take
any kind of strawberry plant, for in
.'tance. and expect to get firm sweet
berries.
The strawberry illustrates very we'll
what il means TO adapt Il product OF
temperate climate TO conditions in tho
far north. The experiment station at
Sitka has made I2,c0o tests with straw
berries in order to fnd varieties really
suited to Alaska. To make the ex-
periments tho two wild straw berries
native to Alaska were crossed with
different hardy varieties Of the culti-
waited strawberry. Nine-tenths OF the
plants proved too frail for tho climate.
or produced soft or insioid fruit. These
were discarded at once. OF tho other
tenth all but three Of four in every
hundred were also discarded as not
nj, t<f. leaving the
best product SO far Is color. flavor
and size of the berries was concerned.
This is n good example Of how tho
agricultural problems are worked out
for arctic and near-arctic regions.
Long and extensive experiments have
been conducted to ind grains euf-
ficiently hardy and swift In growth
for planting, growth. and harvest to
be crowded into tho brief Alaskan
summer. II seems TO be impossible to
made grain moro hardy by n process
Of selection. That Is, when the govern
ment agents took few seeds from the
best grain one year and planted them
. the next. and again took tho bcet of
the harvest and planted that, and so
on for several years. there was no i'm
provcment in the strain. as there
would be In some vegetables.
The only way to produce Grain
hardy enough for the climate is TO
cross tho various strong varieties and
try them out. AS result OF eIpcri-
ment along this line, spring wheat
what runs % bushels to the acre. rye
taller than a man, and a number OF
successful varieties of barley and
oats have been produced in Alaska.
The First Flour Mil
Alaska could bo absolutely in
dependent SO far as hreadsturs arc
concerned. the government agent tells
us. And Alaska is slowly gaining this
indcpendencc A -four mill-thc first
I'm Alaska-has been established in
Fairbanks, so that II is no longer
necessary TO get -four from Seattle and
TO pay heavy freight on 1t.
As for Independence along other
lines OF foodstufs, Alaska may attain
that also to reasonable degree. Prac-
tically every standard vegetable can
he grown in the best farming localities
Of the country. The majority Of tho
fruits have been successfully produced.
Strong breeds of cattle and sheep arc
being developed at the experiment
stations. At recent banquet in Fair
banks. the conquest of the soil by
Alaska was shown by having the entire
menu of homegrown products.
These are tho true signs Of progress.
The difficulties of life in the far north
arc mainly the climate. and then lack
of transportation and hired labor
Transportation prospects are improv-
ing now that the railroad from Eeward
TO Fairbanks is well under way, with
a chance of being completed next year
Farm help IL still scarce because a
large proportion of the 10000 men who
left Alaska for war service have not
returned.
Climate Not So Severe
Climate remains the big problem TO
be met in life in this part of the world
What tho homcsteadcr can raise in his
garden. how he can market surrlus
products. whether nc lives in comfor,
or misery. depends on his understand
ing of tho climate and how to adapt