AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN ALASKA ROSE 4 PER CENT LAST YEAR
The value of agricultural pro
duction in Alaska in 1961 totaled
$5.703.500, up 4 per cent above
the 1960 revised value and 24
per cent above the 1958 level
which was the first year of com
parable data.
Figures quoted are from the Alas
ka Cooperative Crop Reporting
Service. U. S. Dept, of Agriculture.
Total value of production in 1961
for the Tanana Valley area was
$849,000: for the Matanuska Valley.
$3,986,300; Kenai, S335.300; S.E.
Alaska. $218,300; Western Alaska,
$314,600.
Tanana Valley
Farmers in the Tanana Valley
produced 11 per cent of the state’s
milk. 11 per cent of the eggs, 10
per cent of the beef, 17 per cent of
the pork, 7 per cent of poultry
BLM Head Calls
For Overhauling
Of Mining Laws
The Bureau of Land Management
lias called for new mining legisla
tion at the Annual Meeting of the
Colorado Mining Association in Den
ver. Karl S. Landstrom, Director,
.said that the present Mining Laws
of 1872. as amended, need revision.
It is proposed to permit prospecting
claims of 160 acres to a total of
5120 acres in any one state.
In addition, all new claims would
be of 40 acres with no distinction
between placer and lode and no
cxtralateral rights (similar to new
Alaska regulations).
Also, all claim locations, new and
old, would be recorded with the
local land office within two years j
and failure to record would be i
deemed abandonment.
It was further suggested that an
nual assessment work be increased
"to a more realistic value of $10 per
acre (four times that of Alaska’s
State requirements for a 40-acres
claim).
Butcher To Open
Sportsmen?s Camp
Earl Butcher said today he will
open his hunting and fishing camp
•at Mile 22, Tangle Lakes, on the
Denali Highway June 9.
Butcher, who formerly was super- j
mtendent for Bob Sommers in the
•construction field, gave up that life !
for his present vocation several i
jyears ago.
Boats, cabins and a weasel are
available for sportsmen who ven
"ture into the Tangle Lake area.
Groceries and Chevron products
are also handled by Butcher.
meat, 15 per cent of the oats, 14
per cent of the barley, 15 per cent
of the hay, 11 per cent of the silage.
34 per cent of the potatoes, and 13
per cent of total vegetable produc
tion.
The Matanuska-Susitna Valleys,
including the small farming area
around Anchorage, produced a ma
jor proportion of all products ex
cept wool, lamb and mutton, and
reindeer.
Western Alaska included Kodiak
and the many other islands of the
Southwest, Nunivak Island, where
most of the reindeer meat is pro*
duced, and a few' scattered farming
operations in Western Alaska from
Kotzebue to Dillingham. Most of
the farms or ranches in this general
group have large acreages of land
leased from the Bureau of Land
Management.
Most of the beef cattle and sheep
are raised on the islands of South
w’est Alaska, the principal ones be
ing Kodiak. Sitkalidak, Sitkinak*
Chirikof, Umnak and Unalaska.
The two major sources of agri
cultural income for Alaska farmers
from the sale of their 1961 products
showed substantial increases in
volume over the previous year.
The volume of milk sold exceeded
that for 1960 by 16 per cent. The
quantity of potatoes sold and to be
sold increased by 7 per cent over
a year ago, reindeer meat sold
showed a 10 per cent increase over
1960, and the amount of wool, all
of which is sold, increased 7 per
cent.
Poultry meat showed the largest
percentage increase in amount sold
of any commodity, advancing 35
per cent over a year earlier.
Beef production declined 16 per
cent from 1960 because of smaller
marketing; and Alaska grown pork
production decreased 14 per cent.
Total of all cattle and calves in
Alaska on January 1, 1962, was 7,900 ;
head. This exceeds by 8 per cent the
total reported for 1961, and is 53 per
cent greater than in 1953. Hogs de
clined 36 per cent in the Tanana
Valley; 84 per cent are in the mata*
nuska-Anchorage area.
Matanuska claimed 44 per cent;
Western Alaska 38 per cent, Tana
na Valley 9 per cent; S.E. Alaska
5 per cent, and Kenai Peninsula 4
per cent. Total value as of January
1, 1962. was $2,236,000, up 10 per
cent over 1961.
35,000 Chickens
Total chickens in Alaska num
bered 35.000; this was 84 per cent of
the 1960 total. Matanuska-Anchorage
produced 46 per cent of the state's
laying flock, followed by the Kenai
Peninsula area with 28 per cent:
S.E. Alaska and Tanana Valley, 12
per cent each; and Western Alas
ka, 2 per cent.
Total inventory value of sheep
and lambs on farms January 1. 1962.
is estimated at $386,000 or 14 per
, cent of the valuation of all livestock
and poultry. Western Alaska had
97 per cent of the value of sheep
and lambs in the state.
Inventory value of all hogs, Jan
uary 1, 1962, was $49,000 or 2 per
cent of the value of all livestock and
poultry. Matanuska produced 80 per
cent of the state's total, followed by
8 per cent in the Tanana.
Chickens on farms in Alaska, as
of January 1, 1962, were valued at
$79,000, or 3 per cent of the tot^l
livestock and poultry inventory
value. Matanuska accounted for 48
per cent for the state, 13 per cent
in the Tanana Valley.
Planted acreage in the state in
1961 totaled 10.200 acres. The spring
of 1961 was unfavorable for field
work and development of annual
crops. Harvesting attempts of all
crops were most frustrating because
| of rain and freezing temperatures
i and 15,591 acres were harvested, up
4 per cent from 1960.
SALVATION ARMY AT WORK
The Salvation Army, with the aid
of thousands of volunteers, gives
new hope for a better life through
spiritual guidance and a broad so
cial welfare ministry. And the
"hands of mercy" were never more
manifest than in Fairbanks during
, :he winter just past.
As William B. Lynch, corps of
ficer in charge here, reported. “We
have just come through a very tough
U.S. Gold Stocks
Continue Decline
Since January 1
The U S. gold stock has declined
steadily since the first of the year,
according to April reports. The net
loss through April amounted to $395
million, compared with $377 million
for the corresponding period of
1961.
Treasury officials believe the
over-all loss for 1962 may reach
$1.0 billion, up from $878 million
last year.
Despite the heightened outflow,
there is little concern that another J
gold “crisis” may be developing.
The quotation for gold in the Lon
don market has remained close to
the U S. price of $35 an ounce for
more than two months, thus indi
cating that no speculative pressure
has been building up.
Most of the gold loss so far this [
year has been caused by a flow of
dollars to European central banks. |
which traditionally keep a large 1
proportion of their monetary re-I
serves in gold.
Drive-in for delicious food
. . . served right to your car
You can enjoy anything from a
sandwich to a hot meal without
leaving your car. Service is prompt
and friendly. Prices are modest!
n
Variety
is the
spice of
our menu!
THE STOP THAT SATISFIES THE HEARTIEST
APPETITE
CURB SERVICE G P.M. to 2 A M.
— Open 24 Hours A Day —
TOPS DRIVE IN
NEAR FT. WAIN WRIGHT’S MAIN GATE
207 Gafiney — GL 2-2276
’ winter: one that has brought many
People in touch with your Salvation
Army in Fairbanks.”
And to illustrate his remarks, facts
! and figures covering the period
from October 1961 to April 30, 1962,
certainly bear him out and un
I doubtedly will astound those who
‘ read them, as follows:
Lodgings provided, 1011; provided
957 meals, placed 68 applicants on
jobs. 554 hours spent in counselling,
gave 237 baskets of food (not Christ
mas), 175 Christmas gratitudes, gave
away 55,178 articles of clothing, held
142 youth character building
classes, and attendance at same to
taled 2,554.
From the above enlightening re
port it would appear that now it is
time to aid the Salvation Army so
that it again may offer aid next
winter, if and when needed.
CHENA VISITS TRAILER COURT — Overflowing water from the
Chena is shown here reaching into the Berry Trailer Court, located
on Garden Island'.
Keep In Good Spirits, Friends
6 Pak .
Case
•yis •**/* .<
. 'vn - •!" rfl>
' v ‘ ** >
i LET US KEEP
1 YOU IN THE
j BEST OF
L SPIRITS
IOHNNIE
WALKER
RED
The source of
Olympia’s consistent
good taste...
fi
w
5th
$6.69
WEEKEND ~
REMINDER!
MacNaughfon s*$5.95
Imported Canadian
Bourbon Supreme 5.h$4.79
Straight Bourbon
Whiskey ij
delicious
when it's
Calvert
Reserve
i
Calvert
mibrvi
American
Blended Whiskey
iHiittust r#
5th .. . $4.79
Available at these prices at
B & M FOOD MART
914 College Road — GL 2-2584
STEESE MARKET &
BEVERAGE STORE
529 Steese Hwy — GL 6-4013
DENALI GROCERY STORE
1201 9th — GL 6-5232