Seward daily gateway., 1923-07-21
[. [. GEORCESON VISITS SEWARD
 WITH PRESIDENT
AGRoNoMIsT IN CHARGE OF THE ALASKA EXPERIMENTAL STA
 TONS GIVES INTERVIEW

mist in charge or the AlaSKa Experl- mental Stations in Alaska, with head quarters at Sitka is making the trip through Alaska with the President. In speaking to a Gateway representative Dr. Georgeson presented the following interesting facts:
 Agricultural Experimental Stations have been established in Alaska to as certain what Alaska can produce. Be- cause of the different climatic condi- tions it has been necessary to estab- fish five stations. The first to be es- tablished was at Sitka in 1898, then in 1900, one was located at Rampant, and in 1905 another at Fairbanks. The station at Kodiak was established in 1898 but did not work until 1907. The last station was at Matanuska in 1917.
 "All of the stations have their own particular work to do, suited to eli matic conditions, and are devoted to the development of Alaska. For in stance Sitka is horticultural station, Rampant and Fairbanks are devoted to grain experiments, Kodiak is live stock breeding station, while Mata- nuska is engaged in both grain and live stock breeding. There is a splen- did herd of short horn cattle there.
 We are making gradual improve ments and developments as far as the congressional appropriations will per init. In the 25 years I have been here we have had only one failure, in the year 1922 when the grain failed to ma ture because of the excessive rain fall. The outlook this year is very promising. The grain at Fairbanks is looking very we'll. There will be a large variety of grains raised, though on very small scale but will success fully demonstrate what the country can do.
 Alaska has 50,0O0 square miles which can be cleared and utilized for agriculture and has at least another 50,000 square miles suitable for graz ing. Comparisons with Finland show what the possibilities for Alaska are. 1 The southern boundary of Finland is l the Goth parallel and the northern l boundary the 10th, practically the same boundaries as Alaska has. In that area 50,000 square miles main
 tain a population of three million people, nor is the total area available. There is a large area of lakes, swamps
 and forests inland which is unfit for
 agriculture. There are probably 3O,O0O square miles actually available. Now
 if Finland can support three millions
 on 30,000 square miles, why can't we
 support the same population on 50,O0C
 square miles. Moreover, Alaska has
 greater resources in other directions
 We have our mining, our fishing is
 much more extensively developed and
 we also have coal and oil deposits
 which Finland hasn't. Why shouldn'1
 Alaska be a prosperous country? |
 will be in time.
 Tn a recent talk with Director O Agriculture for the State of New Jer sey, about the resources of Alaska,
 told him that we had 50,000 square miles suited for agriculture and he re marked that it was just seven time the size of the State of New Jersey There is absolutely no occasion fo being pessimistic over the future o Alaska. Progress will not go ahead a fast as we would wish but it is boun' to come. It would be favorable, if pos sible, to invite the right class of i'm migrants, people who are best adapt ed, and who have similar climatic COT ditions, such as the Films and tn peoples of Norway and Sweden. The are familiar with the climate an know how to produce crops unde those conditions Our middle west fal a mers think that any country whic can not produce corn is unfitted fo E farming and they condemn it to
 large extent. It is not desirable |
 bring in large colonies but the growt ' should be gradual. We need the ma < kets for our produce first and to gt s those markets we must have develol
 ment of the mines, oil and other r
 sources. This development will be
 stimulant to building other towns. A < aska has an exceedingly bright futul
 but development will be slow in con