Seward daily gateway., 1923-07-18
[. {. CEORCESON VISITS SEWARD
 WITH PRESIDENT
AGRONOMlST IN CHARGE OF THE ALASKA EXPERIMENTAL STA
 TONS GIVES INTERVIEW

C. c. GeOrgeSOn, D. SC., AgFono- mist in charge of the Alaska Experi- mental Stations in Alaska, with head quarters at Sitka is making the trip through Alaska with the President. IT. 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 a very small scale but will success
 fully demonstrate what the country
 can do.
 Alaska has 50,000 square miles
 which can be cleared and utilized for agriculture and has at least another 50,O00 square miles suitable for graz
 ing. Comparisons with Finland show what the possibilities for Alaska are. The southern boundary of Finland is the 60th parallel and the northern , boundary the roth, practically the same boundaries. as Alaska has. In that area 50,O0O square miles main tain a population of three million
 people, nor is the total area available There is large area of lakes, swamps and forests inland which is unfit fol ; agriculture. There are probably 30,00C 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 50,00( 5 square miles. Moreover, Alaska has ; greater resources in other directions
 We have our mining, our fishing is
 much more extensively developed anC
 we also have. coal and oil deposit:
 which Finland hasn't. Why shouldn'
 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, l. told him that we had 5O,000 squar l. miles suited for agriculture and he re r. marked that it was just seven time o the size of the State of New Jersey e There is absolutely no occasion fo
 being pessimistic over the future 0
 Alaska. Progress will not go ahead a p fast as we would wish but it is bount t to come. It would be favorable, if pos g sible, to invite the right class of i'm e migrants, people who are best adapt l. ed, and who have similar climatic con e ditions, such as the Films and tn l. peoples of Norway and Sweden. The, ] are familiar with the climate an'
 know how, to produce crops unde I those conditions. Our middle west fal Q mers think that any country whicl h can not produce corn is unfitted fo IT farming and they condemn 1t to g. large extent It is not desirable t
 bring in large colonies but the growtl