PALMER FIRMS PUSH FOR HOME IMPROVEMENTS
matanuska river
arr bridges
TO BE PAINTED
Bids to paint the Matanuska
River bridges of the Alaska Rail
road and the ARR’s heavy equip
ment and diesel repair shop
were taken under advisement,
following a bid opening Wednes
day by I. P. Cook, chief engin
eer. The bridges are located at
Mile 147.1, 147.4, and 147.5. They
are to be painted black with the
contractor to furnish labor and
materials. Bids on the bridges in
cluded: Alaska Decorators, total
$17,949; Far North Decorators,
total $48,735; H & S Contractors,
total $13,750; Andrew Nesheim,
Edmonds, Wash., total $18,711;
Robert Thompson, total $42,132;
Warren Painting Co., total $26,
442.
KOSLOSKY’S DEPARTMENT STORE
Home Furnishings for Home Improvements
FABULOUS NEW PLASTIC DECORATING
MATERIAL
No paste, no water, no mess! Just peel off
the backing and smooth into place. It sticks.
Now available in great variety of colors
Kitchen prints, Metallic leaf, Carrara
Marble, Alabaster, Plaids and many
other choice colors.
18 inches wide, 5 ft. roll only $2.95
GRASSER'S
HARDWARE &
SPORTING GOODS
TL
**
“Home of Dutch Boy Paints”
Join in Notional
Chamber of Commerce
Improvement Program
Four local firms today an
nounced that they will partici
pate in Operation Home Improve
ment, the gigantic national pro
gram to make 1956 “Home Im
provement Year.”
The Co-Op Warehouse, Ketchi
kan Spruce Mills, Ko&losky’s and
Grasser’s leading local suppliers
of home improvement needs will
participate in Operation Home
Improvement, the nationwide
program to modernize America^
outdated and inadequate homes.
As their part in the unprece
dented program, the local firms
will step up their efforts to be
of service to homeowners here
with the desire to make better
homes of the houses they live in.
The program was initiated by
the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States to encourage home
improvement throughout the year
—and to make it easier for home
owners to obtain the materials
and services that go into home
improvement. Hundreds of lead
ing national manufacturers and
trade associations, as well as
many thousands of local busi
nessmen in every part of the
country, have joined in the effort.
The Hon. Albert M. Cole, top
housing chief in the Federal gov
ernment, pointed out that home
improvement is a “sound invest
ment in America’s future.” He
went on to explain that home im
provement bolsters the economic
and social well-being of the com
munity and the nation, in addi
tion to providing comfort, plea
sure and beauty for the family.
Spokesman for the local firms
said this week that “by this act,
we have affirmed our sincere de
sire to be of service to Palmer
homeowners who want to im
prove their homes. Homeowners
will find personnel of the firms
prepared and eager to answer
questions on phases of home im
provement.”
W.C.T.U. PLANS
IMPORTANT MEETING
A regular meeting of the Wo
mans Christian Temperance Un
ion will be held at the Church of
God on Monday evening, May 14.
This is an important meeting, it
was announced, during which
plans for the W.C.T.U. conven
tion in Anchorage and Palmer
May 21, 22, and 23. All interested
persons are urged to attend.
HAVE YOU 0UT6R0WN YOUR HOME?
Is your home a lighl fit for your family? A low-cost Home Improvement
loan can help you add extra rooms . . .. finish attic or basement; install
another bathroom. And your loan is easily repaid in a'mounts sized to your
income. Let's talk it over.
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Six Potatoe Types
Being Tested for
Commercial Worth
Potato growers can watch pro
gress of potato variety tests in
their own neighborhood as a re|
suit of cooperative efforts of the
Alaska Crop Improvement Asso
ciation.
Crop association members and
the Alaska Agricultural Experi
ment Station staff work to find
new varieties that give good
yields of high quality potatoes
under Alaskan conditions, Horti
culturist C. H. Dearborn explain
ed. This year test plots of six
varieties are to be planted in the
Matanuska and Tanana valleys
and the Kenai peninsula.
These plantings are not to be
considered as a release to the
public of six new potatoes. Dear
born said. The varieties are be
ing tried in different areas to
see which varieties, if any, are
worth planting commercially for
specific regions.
Last year, 50 named varieties
and approximately 25,000 seedl
ings were grown at the Matanus
ka Experiment Station. The ma
terial to be observed this year is <
designated as seedlings 22-1, 22-2,
33-1, 43-6, 43-10 and the stateside
variety called Manota. None of
these six varieties has shown any
resistance to potato scab, Dear
born said.
Varieties 22-1 and 22-2 are sel
ections from a cross of White
Rose by Earlaine. Both selec
tions develop tubers rapidly and
have produced a the rate of 10
tons per acres of U- S. No. 1 size
potatoes by Aug. 20. At this early
harvest time, the varieties have
out-yielded all other varieties in
Alaska by at least a ton per acre.
Both seedlings are acceptable as
new potatoes, but are not as high
quality or as smooth as later ma
turing varieties.
Variety 22-1 seems to be better
adapted to the Fairbanks area,
Dearborn said, and 22-2 in the
Matanuska valley. Both will be
tested for the first time on the
Kenai peninsula this year.
Variety 33-1 is a smooth, oval
shaped tuber with a distinct buff
colored skin. A cross of Sequoia
by 178-42-il-43, seedling 33-1 de
velops at about the same rate and
tonnage per acre as Arctic Seed
ling.
Both 43-6 and 43-10 have excel
lent quality and remain white
after cooking. Dearborn said.
Number 42-10 is outstanding for
baking and potato chips because
>f this whiteness after cooking
and higher percentage of dry
matter than any other potato
grown in Alaska. Both varieties
yield fewer potatoes than Arctic
Seedling.
Matota is a selection from a
cross between two Minnesota var
ieties and was released in 1953
by the Dominion Experiment Sta
tion, Manitoba, Canada. It pro
duces a high tonnage of fair to
good quality tubers in mid-Aug
ust.
Dearborn suggested farmers
ask their local growers about the
potatoes they are testing. Volun
teers for the association test
plots in the Tanana Valley are
Henry Gettinger, P. R. Johnson,
Art Yoder, Ralph B. Stimple and
George Woli. In the Matanuska
Valley area they are George
Crowther, Dearborn and Sons,
Harold Dinkel, Ken Erickson,
Waldo Erickson and Ted Knut
son. Kenai peninsula growers are
Benny Barbee, Joe Faa, Larry
Lancashire, Edward Liebenthal,
Archie McLane and Rudy Ogren.
Carpenters. Remember 1
Carpenters Local 2251
Meets 2nd and 4th Wednesday
Each Month
SBiS—lr
1
Headquarters for your
Home Improvement
• LUMBER AND BUILDING SUPPLIES
• INSIDE AND OUTSIDE DOORS • SCREENS
• LAWN SEED for a beautiful yard and
• FENCE MATERIAL to keep it that way.
WE CARRY THE FAMOUS ROW WINDOWS!
PAINT UP!
BRUSHES - ROLLERS
Inside and Outside PAINT
LADDERS and other
supplies
SPRUCE UP!
RAKES - SHOVELS
HOES - SPADES
Gas or Manuel-Type
LAWN MOWERS
FIX UP!
HAMMERS - SAWS
NAILS - TRIM
POWER TOOLS
ROOFING MATERIALS
Co-Op Warehouse
MATANUSKA VALLEY FARMERS
CO-OPERATING ASSOCIATION
Johns-Manville
Seal-O-Matic
Asphalt Shingles
r They’re Self-Sealing!
Here's the' secret: The sun's heat
seals the tabs automatically because >
of a special petroleum resin cement
strip on the underside.
The butt edges are sealed down by the sun’s heat*
No fear of damage in high wind• • •
wind can’t get under the shingles.
Traditional shingle design.
Here’s another Johns-Manville first—a
roof of traditional shingle design that is
self-sealing. Seal-O-Matic Shingles defy
even high winds to pry them loose. They
come in the popular thick butt style and
cost but little more than ordinary shin
gles. Your choice of many colon and
blends. Stop in and see them!
■pyn^f/n.
Ketchikan Spruce Mills