The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-07-01
FARM STATIONS
 ABAND0NED;N0
 FUNDS ALLOTTED
Federal Government Closes Experiment Stations
 After 5 Years Work

After 34 years of experimental tion here in agricultural and allied pursuits, the Federal government abandoned that line of activity with the close of the fiscal year at midnight last night and the Federal Agricultural Experiment Stations in the Territory were shut down. Secretary Arthur M. Hyde drowned on the expenditures last year and refused to recom- mend to Congress the regular es- inmates for station maintenance and operating expenses.
 Congress, although petitioned by every Alaskan community, declined to insert any money in the general supply bill of the Department of Agriculture saying that it would not override the Secretary and the Bureau of Budget in matters of this kind
 Staff Without Jobs
 Seven permanent employees con- stituted the staff of the two sta- tions which have been operating for the past year. In addition to them, normally employment was furnished for several months every year to some 30 others.
 pr. H. w. Alberts has been di- rector of the stations for the past six years and has made his head quarters here for almost year. In headquarters office with him were Filler Hanson, Administrative Assistant and Miss Mabel Koenigs, Secretary.
 The Sitka Station was in charge of Clifford Corey, horticulturalist. At Matansuka, F. l.. Higgins was the agronomist, w. T. White, ami nal huSpand1y man and J. O.. Wingfield, horticulturist All of them have been thrown out of em- ployment, since no transfer was available.
 Dr. Alberts will proceed to the States shortly. MT. Hanson is re- turning to Sitka. Plans of the others are not known.
 Covered 34 Years
 The Government launched its experimentation in Alaska at Sitka and Kodiak in 1898 with Dr. c. c. Jorgenson in charge. He remained there for over 28 years. Stations were established later at various times at Kenai, Copper Center, Fairbanks, Rampant, Kal- sin Bay and Matanuska.
 Due to early-day transportation costs and the extreme difficulty in obtaining fresh vegetables un- der existing conditions, the first efforts were turned toward experi- ments of garden crops. Livestock was next added and cereal grains followed this. In later years, be- sides carrying forward the original lines of activity, small berries and shrubs, and more recently apples were added
 Notable success was attained at various stations in some of these experiments Sitka produced fine strains of strawberries, shrubs, cer- tain vegetables and in the past year has produced an apple tree which seemed to be especially ad- apted to the Southeast Alaska cli- mate.
 Cereals Are Established
 After unsuccessful attempts to mature cereal grains at Sitka, Ko- diak, Kenai and Copper Center, about 20 years ago early varieties of these crops proved a success at Rampant. A number of varie- ties were introduced and new ones were developed by cross-breeding worked out by the station force. Siberial No. 1, (Chogot), spring wheat, was brought in from Rus sia. It proved to be early in ma turity and productivity for the re- zion. This variety of wheat is now the standard Alaska product and is grown in both the Panama and Matanuska Valleys.
 Many new strains of cereal crops were produced at the Ram part station. One of the strains of barley ,Trapmar, has since be- come the standard variety of that grain at present being grown in the Territory.
 Fairbanks Also Successful
 Due to the concentration of pop ulation at Fairbanks, following the decline of mining on the Yukon River, Rampant activities became secondary to the station at Fair banks and that station was final ly discontinued in 1925. The work of the two stations was largely | similar.
 Testing and breeding of cereal crops for earliness in maturity and productivity have been among the main projects at Fairbanks. Can adian oats were introduced there in 1914 and has since become the standard variety for the region. No breeding work was done with