The Wrangell sentinel., 1931-10-30
The Potato In Alaska
 Subject Of Bulletin

l Dr.. H. W. Alberts, director, Alas ka Agricultural Experiment Stations has recently issued an important bulletin on "The Potato in Alaska.
 The potato is the most important agricultural crop in Alaska, says Dr. Alberts. It is grown mainly for home use in the gardens on the south Alaska coast, and primarily for the market in the Panama and Matanuska Valleys in the interior. l The crop is produced as far north as Wiseman, about 70 miles within the Arctic Circle, and as far west as Bethel on the Kuskokwim river
 While the potato found it's way ! from the Western Hemisphere into Europe in 1850, it did not reach Alaska until the close of the eight eenth century. when it was brought by the Russians to Kodiak Island where 1t was planted at Three Saints Bay During the century fol- lowing it's introduction the crop was grown along the southern coast only. With the gold rush to the re- zion of Fairbanks in 1903 and 1904, the potato became an important az ricultural enterprise in that region. Following the construction of the Alaska railroad in 1922 the crop has been grown in the Matanuska val | ley for the market.
 Regarding the history of the po- tato in southeastern Alaska Dr. AL bert notes that historians report that the Indians of southeastern AL aska are said to have had potatoes before the establishment of the Rus sian settlement at Sitka in 1904. Niblaek records that many years | ago an American ship caatain gave the Indians potatoes, and they are now regularly cultivated, and form a considerable item in the winter food supply" Petrol says that the first English and American visitors found the natives of southeastern Alaska, especially the Haida tribes, using potatoes. The principal vege- table in cultivation was the potato, although turnips and a few other vegetables were grown occasionally The Haida Indians in particular cul- tivated potatoes in large quantities for use In trading on the mainland
 It is reported that the natives of southeastern Alaska were taught by Americans to make "hoochinoo," or liquor. Niblack found that the prac- tice of manufacturing hoochinoo flourished among the Thlingets, be- ginning with the acquisition of AL aska by the United States in 1887. He says that hoochinoo is simply a distillation from potatoes. Bancroft, on the other hand, In his descrip- tion of the process of manufacturing hoochinoo, does not mention the use of potatoes.
 Tn 1881. PAPA pounds of pota- toes were raised at Sitka. In 1863, the official report of the Committee on the Colonies of the Emperor of Russia showed that ITO casks of potatoes were among the annual pro- ductions in Alaska Howard report ed in 1875 that the natives on Ad- mirality Island planted potatoes like celery is planted in eastern gar dens. Jackson in 1880 learned that potatoes were furnished to Russians by the Rake Indians, and Petrol re- ported in 1880 that the only places in southeastern Alaska where pota- toes could be raised successfully were at the mouth of the Stikine River near Wrangell and on Prince of Wales Island.
 In 1883 Schwatka found that the natives at Hoonah produced consid- erable quantities of potatoes. Dur ing the Russian occupation the na- tives around Ahngoon and Rake yil- lages were encouraged to raise po- tatoes, but in 1901, according to