palmer> _AiASKA.t-Box.9.thy..l&. Bell, Editor
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Published every Friday at Palmer,' Alaska, for the Matanuskp. {Valley Hamers* '
Cooperating Association for the ’purpose of giving nous of tho Assoc iatibns’Tvork^
Pyoblenp, had j£cbonpJishncnts. ' . ' * . » / \
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SUBSCRIPTION BY-UAIh, ‘ $1,75 _ BOX $1.00 SINGLE COPY 10/ ,
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WHAT ARE TIE DOING FOR OUR EX-SERVICE MEN?
Our boys arc returning from” the TIar every rock- nor. In sone toms large plaques arc
posted rith the names df local boys viho served rith the Amod Forces. Honor Rolls arc
sted. TIhat are no doing in Talnor? There has been a list posted in the School and
• a short tine one ras displayed in the Trading Tost ’“indofc. It v.'ould seen that
■ of all tines there should be sonc roll of Honor maintained here in Rainer nhcrc
J. nay see it. JuSt rhat organization or perhaps organizations should take"care of
ihis re do not know, but anyray let’s get together and do something about it.
Friday of this reck December. 7,1941 is the 4th anniversary of the beginning of the
Tar. Wo cannot exactly say that re are at peace, but at least major hostilities have
ceased. Nor is the tine to do sonothing for those rho helped br^.ng about tho end of
the most terrible rar that the rotld has seen.
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ROTftTO 7EHC WELL ADVERTISED IN ANCHORAGE
During the past'rock s^oros and restaurants in Anchorage have put forth special effort
to advertise the Alaska potato. The cooperation that farmers have received from local
merchants and restaurants in Anchorage in this campaign is greatly appreciated.
The potato raisers still have their 3ob to do. It is up to then to maintain the
high quality of the Matanuskn notato. .It is one thing to prove the quality of Alaska
products, hut another thing to* live up to the reputation that wo establish. Good and
bad potatoes nay be produced any place. Let's look at some of the criticisms that
the Alaska potato has received in-thc past—warnanted and unwarranted.
First, re hoard that the Alaskan potato was watery—in fact it cade its own.water as
you cooked it. Such potatoes can be prod*cud here or in other potato areas. Perhaps
the fafner noods to study his soi? or perhaps more cultivation i‘s necessary.
Second, re hoar that the growing season is too short and-the potato docs not mature.
The season for potatoes in the Matanuska valley is just as long as it ,is in Central
Minnesota where some excollont potatoes are produced. The season is different,’but
not shorter. Ue have rain to contend with which kcops vines and ’'Otdtocs growing
during the time’ of the year when they should be ripening. Therefore, it becomes
necessary to use methods of storage that will aid the ripening of the potato.- Proper
utilization of the soil has much to do with ripening of the. potato. You just
.n't plant potatoes in any kind of soil and expect a good product. The wise fearner
f today must learn to farm from a scientific angle if he would be successful. People
who think that anyone can be a farmer‘have much to learn. -He might live on a farm
and go through the farming operations* but it is the alert nan and the scientific
farmer who will make a success of it. ;
HEADQUARTERS, AL--SKAN DEPARTMENT, The. Uar Department released figures on mobilization
recently that left mny a critic and backstairs, expert.'hanging in mid-air. Soldiers
are being demobilized twice as fast as iri ^orld Ear i, and an Array that took 48
months to mobilize to a full strength of 5,000,000-overseas will have been returned
ten months after the war. “ . "
In Uorld Tar I troops did not begin returning from Franco until the spring of 1919
and men v/ith overseas .service were the last discharged.. Oncp a soldier did set foot
on U.S', soil in 1919, it took three to four weeks for him to bo processed for dis
charge. ' ‘
In contrast, through November 16,1945 , 3,114,00'veterans of Uorld Uar .If more men
than were in the whole of the AEF in Uorld 'Tar t, have been discharged; the great
majority of then men with conhot and long overseas service. They have been separated
from the Array, on'the average, witlii^t 48 hours- of their arrival at a separation
center in the U.S.
Don’t expect the VALLEY SETTLER'to bo printed on time \mtil better equipment and
working conditions arc provided. No one realizes the vast amount of work connected
with work of this type except a person sho has done it. Every wdok the Editor swears
sho won’t put out another issue and who wouldn't when you wind up with a headache,
backache and all out of temper.