Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 111, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 October 1899 — ALASKA IS FERTILE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ALASKA IS FERTILE.

GROWING THINGS THRIVE IN OUR ARCTIC DOMAISJ. Gratifying Information from Government’* Experimental Agricultural Station*-Early Vegetable. Excel in Flavor Those of the State*. The Federal Department of Agriculture has shown that fruits, vegetables and grain are being grown with profit in Alaska, and that our great Arctic domain offers enormous possibilities, hitherto unsuspected, for agriculture on a large .scale. Along the Alaskan coast the soil is Capable of producing grain, vegetables, small fruits and forage plants of as good quality and in as great abundance as many of our Northern States, and of supporting countless herds of cattle. In southeastern Alaska is a region as large as all New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania • .. " . I

combined, that is adapted in all respects to cattle raising. The Government is establishing three agricultural experiment stations at different points in the Territory, to test thoroughly and scientifically the capacity of its soil for producing a food supply for its present and future population, and enable the Territory ultimately to become self-supporting with respect to the food it may need. The stations are at Sitka, on the southeastern coast; at Kadiak, on Kadiak island, off the southern coast; and at Kenai, on the Kenai peninsula, beside Cook Inlet, about 110 miles to the north and east. The conditions at Sitka represent all the heavily timber■ed region of southeastern Alaska, with

Its deep moss and peaty soil. At Kadiak the climate is somewhat cooler, and the soil less peaty, while hi the Kenai peninsula there is a large area of agricultural land inside the coast range, which presents favorable conditions for farming, although it lies north of the sixtieth parallel of north latitude. , f Last year the Department sent to Alaska a special agent, Prof. C. C. Georgeson, a native of Denmark. He made his headquarters at Sitka and Skaguay, and experimented with seeds of over 100 varieties of grain, vegetables, grasses and forage plants. He also distributed seeds to individuals in other localities tai Alaska and made arrangements for co-operative expertreport* as toe reaults-Sb-

talned. All of the seeds were planted between May 18 and May 25. The season was backward, and it was impracticable to plant them earlier. Of vegetable seeds, planted there were asparagus, wax beans, beets, cress, kale, lettuce, mustard, onions,

parsley, parsnips, peas, radishes, rutabagas, rhubarb, salsify, spinach,, sage,* thyme, turnips and Windsor beans. All these, including in some cases several varieties of each, except the wax beans and spinach, made excellent growth

and produced vegetables and plants that compared favorably with the products of gardens almost anywhere in southern latitudes. The peas were especially prolific, and the turnips, radishes, parsnips, parsley and salsify prodouced roots as good as can be found anywhere. Some of the turnips weighed five pounds each, and some even ten pounds, and were of excellent flavor. Potatoes also were a decided success. Many of them weighed each a pound or more. C A more important test, however, was made with grains and foliage plants. Oats and barley were grown at Sitka and Skaguay with gratifying results. Several varieties of Norwegian and Russian barley were grown with the same excellent result as with the oats. Of forage plants there were Seeded several varieties of Norwegian clover, timothy, hairy vetch and Riga flax, and all were successful, the clover being especially vigorous, measuring over two feet high. Alaska is pre-eminently a land of small fruits ahd berries. The flavor of most of the native berries is pronounced to be so excellent that it is said they are worthy, of introduction into the States. Cattle were introduced in Alaska long ago by the Russians in their various settlements, and, according to reports, they always did Well. Professor Georgeson reports that the cattle now found at the little towns along the coast thrive and appear to have become well adapted to the climate. This excellent condition, Prof. Georgeson says, is evidence of the nutritious qualities of the indigenous grasses. The soils of Alaska are largely of vegetable origin, and to a great degree resemble the black earth of rice lands or peat formations. In the southeastern portion of Alaska there are deep deposits of this rich soil overlying slate or conglomerate bedrock. The organic content of many of these soils is very much higher than in any of the agricultural lands of the States. If these soils are so situated as to be well drained they should be capable of producing enormous crops, and, with an abundant and well-distributed rainfall, they would be adapted to almost any kind of crop suited to the general climatic conditions of that portion of the country.

GROWN AT SITKA. Oats, Barley, Flax, Potatoes and Clover.

POTATOES GROWN AT KADIAK.

ALASKAN REDTOPS.