Faimer,Alaska
Editor.Dorothy IT. Boll
* Advertising.. Harriet Z. Bell
Publishcdloncc a voofc at Palmer, Alaska, for the Matanuska V£iley Farm
ers' Cooperating Association for the purpose of giving nev:s of the
Associations v>ork, problems and accomplishments.
SUBSCRIPTION R .-1.75
,.•1.00 for six months
10^ a copy
BACK ON THE JOB
Hero I ori—
Back on tho job again after a delightful vacation and a good rest.
Your Yd it or tool; off from Palmer on Thursday evening on Sopt ember 8, for
-jichoragc. The following day she boarded tho train for Seward. The day
was beaut if ilil and we hope wo got some good pictures. However, the most
enjoyable part of the trip was tho drive from Seward to Hope and Henai
tho following day. In the company of Parker Lester and Marjorie Sheri
dan of the Extension Service your Editor traveled by oar .through the
mountains to the coast of Cook Inlet. Needless to say the coloring w s
gorgeous this time of the year, but all too often the light was not g- e
enough for pictures. Unfortunately we hit much rainy weather during tne
week we spent on the Peninsula. The roads are in good condition—es
pecially from Cooper’s Landing on in to IConai and south to ICasilof. The
road through the mountains is beautiful but winding and narrow in places.
On Saturday the 10th, we stopped in Hope, ^laska, where Mr. Lister had
some checking to do on land clearing. Vie stopped to see Mr. Neerhouse
in Hope who has a couple of apple tr~es. The trees are all of 15 foot
high. Two apples about l-g- inches in diameter hung on one tree. At this
place v/c found a Qahlia which was fully 12 inches in-diameter. All of
us tried to get pictures of it and we hope that one of us was successful.
Garden vegetables showed a lush grov/th and smell fruit hung heavy on the
vines. Mr. Neerhouse told us that ho had no market for his products ana
most of it just went to waste. The town of Hope has dwindled-down until
few ‘people are l^ft there. Most of the houses are vacant wo were toll
Uo arrived in Konai on Saturday evening. Your editor remained in Konai
until Kr. Lester and Kiss Sheridan wore ready to return to Seward the
following Friday. Both Kr. Lester end ITiss Sheridan had meetings in
Homer. But on Tuesday your editor did accompany Kiss Sheridan on a brip
to Kasilof. Ye visited"three homesteads in this area and were very much
surprised at the improvements that have been accomplished by the people
living there. The McLanc’s have lived in this area for the past 27 y^ars
and have built up a beautiful homesite on a little lake. AL1 of thoir
buildings are log. Beautiful shrubbery and flowers set the buildings
off. This area must have been virtually a t/ildernoss until the recent
road was built—yet the homesteaders seem to be a thriving and happy lot.
There was no school at Kasilof since they lacked three pupils to qualify.
Kail arrives by plane four times a week and is distributed at one of the
’ coostenders homes by a busy housewife. Thorc isn’t a lot of'farming
in this area, but farm land is opening up and it appears to have gr-- t
possibilities. In the past Fur foaming has been important, but since
prices have dropped . fur farming has b„;^n 'discontinued.
■Yie town of Kcnai is spread out over quite an area. It has been settled
on rather a hit and miss plan so that streets are a trifle hard to fol
low., It is located high on a bluff overlooking Cook Inlet and one gets
a beautiful view of Kt. Redoubt and Kt„ Illicmna on clear days. I would
say that this little town has- groat possibilities as this area develops.
The people thor^ are anxiously awaiting the installation of REA in that
vicinity. At the present about a dozen of the residents have light
plants. Even Libby's Cannery across.the river has to operate its own
light plant. A new concrete school building is now under construction
in Konai.
Along the road from Moose River on into Konai many Homesteads are in
evidence. Host of the houses are of log construction and very attrac
tive, Yc stopped at a place along the road whero coffee was served and
gcsoline was sold. A sign told us that this place was Naptowne and
v; .s 4550 miles from Indianapolis, Indiana.
wore and
Ve'i'sorry that v; o didn’t see more wild life. Only one black bear/'" a few
ducks we’re visible. Four goats could be seen through binoculars at Koose
Fii.3S.jL