The Cordova daily times., 1922-11-18

al uiStrlctS, the rlcnneSS ana 1ertll ity of the soil differs. But it is mostly either a rich glacial silt or a loam made up of volcanic ash and decayed vegetation. The subsoil is most often sand or fine gravel and varies in depth from one to many feet. In the Panama Valley the 1 soil depth is as great as one hun dred feet In some localities lime stone subsoil occurs. The Matan- uska and Susitna valleys have a rich soil composed largely of silt Proper care and fertilization are factors that ! enter into farming in exactly the same manner that they do in all other farming countries. New ground needs no fertilization generally speaking, while old or long-used ground does.
 As to the quantity of land avail able and adapted to farming pur- poses there is no immediate short age in sight. Professor Georgeson, who has charge of the Federal Exper- | iment farms in Alaska, estimates the amount of agricultural land at 100000 square miles. It will be noticed that this is more land than there is in the, entire state of Oregon. MT, E. A. | Sherman, Associate Chief Forester of the United States, states that MT. 1 Georgeson's estimate is not too high. John D. Guthrie, in charge of Public Relations, U. S. Forest Service, says that there are 1000 square miles of agricultural lands in the Panama Valley alone. Other features of MT. Guthries opinion are worth quoting: Interior Alaska has climate not unlike that of the Dakotas and with 1 it's agricultural possibilities, already proven at Fairbanks and in the Mata- nuska valley there will come a pop i ulation commensurate with it's re- sources.
 Prom observations made in 1920 ! in the Fairbanks regions the far mers were at that time better off | than any other class. Good crops of oats and potatoes and other hardy vegetables were bieng grown, as well as fine crops of wheat, which, ground at a local cooperative mill, SUD- T .T t1N Tut ll tion with flour. Eventually Interior ! Alaska should produce by far the larger part of the more commonly used food products (such as flour, reindeer meat and the hardier vege- tables) for the needs of her interior population as well as possibly sur plus for much of the coast popula- tion to the eastward
 Alaskas farming land is scattered to some extent over the entire Ter ritory, but the two chief bodies of it are in the Panama River Valley and the Cook Inlet country, which includes the Matanuska Valley. | What About Markets?
 Up to the present time everything rroduced in Alaska has been con- sumed by Alaskans. But there is not a large population and the time must soon come, if we are to have any considerable farming industry, when the market for northern grown pro- ducts must be greatly increased This can be done in two ways. One is to export the products, and the other is to import the consumers To export Alaskan farm products IS certainly possible. We have water transportation to the Pacific Coast and by way of the Panama Canal even to the Atlantic Seaboard. When we consider that foodstuffs are con- stantly shipped from two to four thousand miles in the states by rail the possibility of shipping them 2,OOO miles by water is seen to be within the range of possibilities.
 The feasibility of shipping such products as hay, grain and root crops or meat is, however, not approved by the governm ents farm experts nor by Alaska farmers. It may come, but It is not imminent. But with dairy pro ducts, such as butter and cheese, the case is very different. A report from the Department of Agriculture on Soil Reconnaissance in Alaska" made in, 1914, contains in it's summary for the Cook Inlet section the following significant statements: "The most promising line of Agriculture for this country appears to be that which will center about dairying." This view is also held by the Associate Chief For ester. Dairy products are so concen trated in bulk and so valuable per