Evening star., 1936-08-09
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
PALMER, Alaska, August 8.-"Give
a real dirt farmer a piece Of land and
growing weather and he'll produce
something besides grumbles, and If
any one thinks we haven't some real
dirt farmers here, let him come and
take a look"
The speaker was Editor Jack Altman
of the local weekly. The subject was
the Matanuska Valley colonization
project started in May. 1895, by the
Federal Government, with 200 United
States families on relief or the margin
Of 1t. About so Of the families have
returned to the States; most of the
rest claim they couldn't be driven out
with shotguns.
Altman, Of course, is a pro-Mata-
nuskan. His enthusiasm might log
ically be discounted somewhat-espe-
cially in view Of the fact that trouble
is still one of the things which the
famous pioneering project has the
most of-but it is not without foun-
dation.
The season when dirt farmer-an
honest gosh Michigan, Wisconsin
or Minnesota farmer-does his stun
is we'll at hand in the scenic and fer
tile valley. 1t had been shouted from
the housetops in the States that there
were no genuine farmers among the
colonists. Those who sounded OH Sc
loudly should hike through the valley
now-day or night!
Most in Production.
Most OF the colonists are in produc-
ton. Their cultivated crops on each
tract of 40 to 80 acres cover from only
2 or 3 acres up to 10 or 20. They are
raising garden crops, a few peas for
canning this Fall. potatoes and all
the oats and hay they can, for the
valley is best fitted for dairying and
there must be plenty Of COW feed fol
the Winter.
A shortage Of heavy equipment
forces some Of the farmers to work al
hours OF the day, and at night, anc
that has been possible with virtually
continuous sunlight prevailing during
June and July.
Ross Sheely, who succeeded Don IT.
win as project manager, estimates
that about 1000 of the 5000 farm
acres in the project are cleared fol-
cultivation. In addition. the valley
settlers here before the colonlsts ar
rived have hundreds Of acres under
cultivation and the valleys next har-
vest will be by far its largest.
Growing crops look good. he Spring
was rather dry and the valleys ex-
tremely fine textured soil few around
in the strong winds like the dusts OF
Southwest United States. But the So
called sub-irrigation-the rise OF
moisture from the receding frost line
to the surface-insured fine growing
conditions in May and early June
even though external appearances
were not unlike those OF a draught
area. Then came the rainy season
and crops, blessed by 20 hours and
more Of sunlight each day. fairly
leaped toward productive maturity.
Several Find Markets.
While there are those who still dc
not see where the isolated valley /.
going to sell its produce. several ot
the colonists have found markets fol
themselves even before the Govern
ments marketing cooperative has
been effected.
Joe Publ and Virgil Eckert. for in
stance, have had such good luck sell
ing produce that they have declared
themselves Independent Of further
Government credit. The Government
had contemplated that colonists would
be self sustaining in three years; Pub
and Eckert became self-sustaining in
13 months.
They live side by side because they
happened to draw adjacent tracts and
although they had never met before
they helped one another construct