THE COW WINS NEW PRES
TIGE con'td.
incss is changing the
picture for some of
those people who are de
termined to cko out a
living from the 12,000
cleared acres of land
in their valley.
.....In 1939 there were
only 750 porsons gain
fully employed on all
Alaska farms and a
largo number of them
v/oro located in the Mat
anuska Valley. Because
of adequate amounts of
native grass and an
isolation that makes
shipping difficult,
dairying soon bccamo
tho chief industry a
mong the Valley's farm
ers .
By 1943 the V-alloy
farmor was receiving
$6.20 per hundred for
his milk, and at J>0^ a
quart in Anchorage, the
milk supply from the
700 cows in the Valley
failed to meet the de
mand. Slowly, through
an increase in the num
ber of herds as well as
increased production
per cow, a more equit
able balance between
supply and demand was
met.
Today, Valley dairy
men with upwards of 30
years experience at
milkinp cows, min;le
with those who have less
than five years behind
them. The oldest dairy
ing organization in the
Valley is the Motanuska
Experiment Station
which has been practic
ing dairying for $1
years.
Oldtimcrs still at
the game include Bill
Lentz, Oscar Xcrttula
and Frank McAlister.
Then there are the
comparative newcomers
typified by Clifton W.
Grover, who milked cov/s
for 12 years in Utah be
fore trekking northward
to his present home
over three years ago.
Herd sizes of Surge
users in the Valley vary
from 53 head at the Ex
periment Station to the
i 12 cov;s of Harold L.
Thuma. Cows of several
breeds can now bo found
in this ,*laskan dairy
land* The first cows
brought to the Valley
v/ere Guernseys, but to
these Holstcins were
added. Today cows of
| thoso broods are being
mixed with Rod Dane
stock as a result of ex
porimonts by the gov
ernment at the Belts
villo, Md., Station
showing hybrids with
increased milk and but
terfat production.
Tho trend in the Val
ley during the past
seven years is toward
an increased number of
dairymen using Surge
milkers. Most of these
dairy farmers in turn
are increasing their
herds. The Experiment
Station herd has jump
ed since I9I+6 from 19
to 53 head with the
cows of Grover, increas
in' his herd by 12, L.
M. DePriest by 12, and
Thuma by 8.
Although dairying con
suracs most of the time
of those men, there arc
those who find time.to
turn to experimentation
and invention in this
territory- which soon
hopes to become tho Ii9
state.
When it comes, to feed
for those dairy cows,
most of the grain and
practically all hay
needed is -rown ri ;ht
there by those hard
working dairy farmers.
Feed needed otherwise
is imported all the way
from Seattle by boat
and inland over a rail
way system which is
anything but adequate*
On that basis, import
ed alfalfa hay costs a
round $90 a ton with
dairy ration running a
bout '»7.50 a hundred or
$11+5 1 ton. Some of
the dairy farmers with
larger herds buy in can
load lots, with the
feed running from $2,900
to $5*000.
The 'rowing season in
the Valley runs roughly
four months out of the
year. For hay, an oat
! and pea mixture is prob
ably the most popular
with bromo and native
grass comin; next.
There also is some blue
grass, a Is ike and white
clover.
Some of the dairymen
raise: vegetables to
supplement their milk
checks but quite a few
rely solely upon their
cows for their total
i nc omc . The C la renc o
C. Hoffmans, Ray Rebar
chcks and Grovers ari}
examples of Alaskan
families wholly ‘depend
ent upon their cov/s for
their living,
I
Now arrivals in Pal
mer last week included
j Mr. and Mrs. D, Mc
i Michael of Spokane,
j Washington. Mrs. Me -
[ Michael is the former
j Tessio Hommer, daught
er of Mr. and Mrs. Fat
I Hemmor. The I'cMichaols
j plan on making tho
: Valley their home.
The new grader for
' the city’ of Palmer, ar
rived via the Alaska
Railroad on Wednesday•
Clay Johnson of Pal
! nor flew outsido last
I week for modical at
tention. He has enter
ed Virginia Mason Clin
ic at Seattle, Wash
ington for a thorough
check-up.
! HE COVES n RI 31
\
In spit-o of high wi nets
and drifting snow, Rob
erta HoAnno Hommor and
Fhilip L. McRae worn
married last Friday ev
ening, January l8, in
St. Michael's Catholic
[Church of P.almor • The
■ceremony was performed
by the Reverend Fr. J.
F. Snead, pastor.
The bride is the
daughter of fir. and Mrs.
Pat Hemraor, colonists.
Mr. McRae is the son of
Mrs. Clarence Bell of
Palmer.
The wedding process
ional, was playod by Mrs.
continued on 8