valley Frontiersman
VOL. II, No. 2
PALMER, ALASKA, SEPTEMBER 22, 1948
TEN CENTS
Disease Ruins Many Seed Potatoes
MERCHANTS MOVE
TO PREVENT
FOOD SHORTAGE
Although apparently faced by
a shipping tie-up of some dura
tion, Palmer merchants this week
had tightened their belts and
prepared to meet the situation.
Businessmen met early in the
week to list their shortages and
to draft an appeal for help to
Governor Ernest Gruening.
At that meeting it was report
ed that the local bakery had sup
plies for only one more week.
Grocers said staples and canned
goods on hand would last an
other two weeks, while meat, but
ter and canned milk would be
gone in a week i,f present sup
plies were not replenished.
Shortening is almost unavail
able, the sugar supply is limited
and there are no powdered eggs
on hand, it was reported. Present
supplies of dairy and chicken
feed will last for an estimated 40
days.
Both clothing and fuel oil
stocks on hand can be stretched
to meet the demand, it was esti
mated. Grocers pooled their sales
figures and found that the Val
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Makes Offer
To Dairymen
A lump sum settlement has
been offered members of the
Valley’s dairying industry by the
Matanuska Valley Cooperating
Association for 1946 milk pay
ment shortages, it was announ
ced this week by Carl Rasmussen,
executive secretary of MVFCA.
Mr. Rasmussen declined to
state the amount offered to the
dairymen. “We have the produc
tion figures for 1946,” he said,
“and we’ve offered them what
the books indicate they have
coming.”
Dairymen last year sued the
Co-op for payments due them in
1945. Favorable judgment was
granted, and the dairymen now
arc asking payment for the fol
lowing year.
Co-op lawyers have appealed
last year’s decision. That appeal
is now pending in Third Division
courts. Mr. Rasmussen said he
thought it likely that the appeal
would be heard some time this
winter.
DELEGATE VISITS HERE,
TALKS TO STUDENTS
Delegate Bob Bartlett, accom
panied by Clarence Keating of
Seward, was guest of honor at a
luncheon in the Valley this week.
Delegate Bartlett addressed the
businessmen present at the
luncheon and then visited Pal
mer school to participate in the
first student assembly of the
school year.
Delegate Bartlett was frank in
stating that he could offer no
help to the Valley for relief of its
two major headaches—the Alas
ka Native Service hospital and
the shipping tie-up.
Speaking with reference to the
hospital, Mr. Bartlett said his
latest information reported that
it will be built on the proposed
site in Anchorage. He repeated
that the offer of a hookup with
the power plant of The Alaska
Railroad for steam and light had
been the major factor in the de
cision. Powerful Washington of
iiciais iavorea tne vaney luxa
tion, he said, but were unable to
justify construction here in the
face of free power and steam of
fered in Anchorage.
With regard to the shipping
strike, he said he knew of no
solution, although he hinted
that possibilities of barge ship
ping had not yet been fully in
vestigated.
He briefly discussed the sub
stantial appropriation of govern
ment funds allotted to Alaska
this year and suggested that this
defense spending could best be
utilized by the territory to build
basic industries.
In conclusion, the delegate
said he considered chances were
excellent for securing an appro
priation from the next Congress
for construction of a hydro-elec
tric plant at Eklutna. The plant,
as proposed now, would take care
of all electrical needs of the en
tire Anchorage and Valley area.
Architect Comes
To Make Survey
Of Building Plan
George Boyd with the section
of Plans and Surveys of the Bu
reau of Plant Industry, Soils and
Agricultural Engineering, arrived
in the Valley this week-end to
give plans for the proposed build
ing of the Agricultural Research
Administration a final going
over.
Plans for the building are be
ing drawn in Washington, D. C.
It is hoped this final study of
Mr. Boyd’s will give the go-ahead
to the work. Don Irwin, local
head of ARA, said it is expected
to get the excavation work on the
laboratory and office building
and the apartment house build
ing completed this fall before
freeze-up.
Both buildings are to have full
basements. The laboratory and
office building excavation is to
be 1061/2 x 48>/2. while the apart
ment house basement is to be
30 x 40 in size.
If excavating can proceed on
schedule, construction work can
get under way in May and the
building should be completed by
the end of August, Mr. Irwin said.
The space provided by the
planned buildings is urgently
needed. Work of the ARA is be
ing hampered both by lack of
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Eckert Home
Wins Prize
The Virgil Eckert home was
the first-prize winner in the
Grange home beautification con
test, judges decided last week.
The award was made on the
basis of improvement in home
appearance over the contest pe
riod.
Next-door neighbor Neil Miller
placed second in the contest.
Third prize went to the Don
Boulters of Alpine Inn.
Mrs. Nina Stock, secretary of
the contest committee, expressed
disappointment at the small re
sponse in the final weeks of the
contest. Many home owners com
pleted the initial entry blank and
sent in the “before” pictures of
their homes, but only a few ad
hered to contest rules and mailed
in the “after” pictures at the
conclusion of the contest.
The winning Grange in the
national contest will not be an
nounced until late next month.
VETS TALK FARMING
WASILLA—Veterans who are
homesteading in this area met
last Sunday afternoon with Mr.
Kirby from the Veteran’s Ad
ministration office in Anchorage.
The group gathered in Wasilla’s
Community Hall to discuss
phases of the veteran’s agricul
tural program.
WEI WEATHER
IS BLAMED
FOR OUTBREAK
The Valley’s seed potato crop
this year has been assailed by
one of the worst outbreaks of
disease known here, it was re
ported by M. D. Snodgrass. Mr.
Snodgrass, in company with G.
W. Grasser of Fairbanks, has
spent the past two weeks in the
fields certifying seed potatoes.
Blackleg is the most prevalent
disease, Mr. Snodgrass said. Its
extent is still undetermined,
since it did not become evident
until the close of the season, and
is still showing up in fields
heretofore believed clear. Fields
must be checked daily right up
until frost, Mr. Snodgrass cau
tioned.
The outbreak of disease was
blamed on the early dry season
of the summer, followed by the
cool, moist weather of July, Au
gust and September.
Farmers whose fields passed
the inspection of Mr. Grasser and
Mr. Snodgrass, and who may of
fer seed for sale next season in
cluded:
Mads Johannsen, Glen Woods,
Pete Johnson, Irving Newville,
Jack Cody, A. R. Carson, F. A.
Blom, Frank Linn and R. D.
Gowan.
Mr. Snodgrass said that farm
ers whose fields were rejected,
but who wish to save seed for
their own sowing next spring,
still may pass muster. These
farmers must clean out every po
tato from diseased hills. They
will not be allowed to offer seed
for sale, but if they do succeed
in clearing their fields, they may
utilize the seed themselves.
A very interesting observation
made by the seed inspectors was
better showing made by fields
which were planted with No. 1
seed. One farmer who sowed sev
eral rows of potatoes from cull
seed found extensive evidence of
disease in those potatoes, while
his other fields remained almost
untouched. “More than ever be
fore, this year has shown farm
ers the value of sowing No. I
seed,” Mr. Snodgrass declared.
Questioned concerning the out
look for potato harvest in gen
eral, Mr. Snodgrass estimated
that Valley farmers would reap
about three-quarters of a nor
mal crop this season. Early frost
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