Evening star., 1936-04-19

be in Matanuska at this time next
year.
The practicability Of farming In
Alaska is not controversial among
old-time residents of the Territory.
They know that there isn't, nor has
been, nor ever will be any productive
farming in Alaska.
The eyes of thousands Of American
farmers down below" today are upon
this far-away valley in Alaska. The
question on their lips, Will the prof.
ect. or is it just another experiment
of the brain truSters in the present
administrations"
After living in the Territory for
more than five years and having
covered news from Ketchikan, the
first port of call, to Nome, and from
Nome to Point Barrow, the further
most point on the North American
Continent, where Will Rogers and
Wiley Post met their tragic deaths,
this writer goes on record in saying
that farming in Alaska is an idle
dream and myth.
First of all there is no top soil.
so important to farming, to be found
anywhere in Alaskan Territory.
Alaskan soil is covered with tundra
and moss. Under this a sandy gravel
and under the gravel a rich black
loan. The farmer" must dig for
the soil needed.
Experimental IS Years.
Government experimental stations
operating under the Department OF
Agriculture, have been attempting
to raise cattle and grow foodstuffs
in Alaska for the last 35 years with
out success
Proof of the impracticability oi
farming in Alaskan Territory is the
fact that resident Alaskans spend
approximately 100000 annually fol
the importation of farm products
alone. There are only $4,000 whites
in Alaska, including the new colonists
At the Government experimental
station they grow perhaps the largest
Irish potatoes in the world. The
same applies to Strawberries. Foul
of these berries will fill a pint box
The Irish potatoes are wet and un.
fit for human consumption and the
berries are tasteless and stringy. Tht
Alaskan housewife pays 81 a bo,
for Strawberries imported from Seattl,
and they are served only upon festiv,
occasions.
Lettuce, cabbage, rhubarb, tomatoe
and other vegetables are grown a
the Government experimental station
They all look beautiful in a crate o.
box, but when cut into it is fount
that they are rotten in the core.
With little or no drainage IL
Matanuska Valley, the water from
the melting of the Winter snow
and the rains of the Summer month
seeps directly into the ground, maxim,
the valley sea of mud and the sol
too rich for productive farming.
Three Crops Per Season.
In the Alaskan growing season o
l30 days, the experimental station
have been able to get as high a
three crops With the rapid growtl
of these crops, they rot in the cor
in the growing.
In Southeastern Alaska there is al
annual rainfall of approximately 16
inches, thus making farming in tina
section impossible because of the ex
cessive moisture.
Prior to the coming of the ney
colonists there wasn't such a thin
as farm in Alaska. The Government
experimental stations, operated b
men who are graduates of agriculture
colleges down below" were the near
est approach to what "the man in tn
street" knows farm to be.
If these experimental station man
ayers have not been able to success
fully raise foodstuffs during the las
IS years, the old-time Alaskan ask
the question, "Is a group Of relic
roll farmers, new to the territory, ez