The following article is the
first of a number that will be
prepared by Ur. F.J. Lechner, Suo
erintendent of the Hatanuska Ex
periment Station, and appear in
the pages of the PIONEER,
THIS SOIL OF OURS
In 1914 the Bureau of Soils of
the U»S. Department of Agriculture
made an Alaskan soil survey which
included the Cook Inlet-Susitna
Matnnuskn Region.
As in any other region we find
here more than one type of soil.
Our best soil is designated as
Knik loam, of which there are 1300
square miles in the region sur
veyed, This is equal to about 3/4
of the nrea of Bolaware, and this
is the soil upon which practically
all hornet in the Hat anus ka Valley
are located. The Alaska Survey Re
port rates Knik Loam with the best
soils found in the U« S.
Physically this soil is about
60$ silt, 26$ fine and very fine
sand, and only 12$ clay. The small
remainder being marse material,
anik Loam has excellent qualities*
(1) It holds moisture well for most
satisfactory crop growth. (2) Par
ticularly, the silt and clay are
rich in mineral food for plants.
(3) The soil does not puddle or
bake, (4; It warms up quickly and
(5) has excellent drainage, espec
ially with clay subsoil.
Along v;ith those good qualities
we hove what might be rolled one
weakness. This soil becomes dif
ficult to nook if it becomes too
dry, .mother point is that the
humus end nitrogen gees quickly
with cureless forming, but these
are also easily built ut> by the
care fu1 f arme r.
A word about the soil minerals*
The UA S* Soil Resort shows 2.36%
lime in the soil and subsoil - a
high limes '■ontent. However, for
some reason, at least a portion of
the Knik Loam responds to lime.
Apparently the lime is not in a
readily available form. If this is
true we should be able to hit upon
some way to make it so* Based upon
the analysis given in the soil re
port each acre foot of soil non-■
tains some over 5,COO phosphate ,
and over 25,000 pounds of potash.
The mineral requirements of most
crops is not very high. Tven The
phosphate supply is sufficient to
lust a good many years of usual
ororring, provided, of murse,
this Phosphate is all available for
plant use. Re know that it isn’t
all available, and neither is all
the potash.
Nature has a way of locking up
plant foods for a time, and even
for "keeps.” ^rorer soil manage
ment and the use of fertiliser
supplements, particularly cn the
older lands, will do much tc give
our crops the minerals needed for
proper production.
In conclusion might we add that
our low rainfall with its distrib
ution, and the winter freezing,
are very important factors in hold
ing down wastes in fertility so
common in many places where the
rainfall is high and the winter
weather mild.
H.J. Lechner, Eupft.,
Experiment station.
FOAUITE SOUP IS BRAND N177
VALLEY ^ITY CAFE DISH
Eire, due tc an overheated nine,
brcke out in the roof of the Val
ley City Safe the ether day just
when Ralph Horton had his big din
ner on the range.
The volunteer fire department
again nroved its efficiency by
smothering the blaze before any
damage was done to the building.
But you should have seen the din
ner I V.rith our new forty gallon
"Foamito" tank doing its stuff
the kitchen range soon took on the
anuearanoe of a foam smothered
headland of the Aleuts with a nor
ther tramping down across Bering
Sea..
Elmer VTaugh was the only cas
ualty. He thought he could walk
on a celotex ceiling*
"Bellowing Bill” Taylor sprain
ed both ankles. He was running to
the fire with an extinguisher when
someone rang the dinner gong for
an alarm. Bill thought it was the
regular '•all to grub and slammed
on both brakes before he saw his
mistake.
Hew about sending a subscrip
tion for the PICNEER cut to the
folks? They want to know whatTs
going on up here, and reports froir
the outside state that almost ev
eryone back heme is asking for old
conics.
PALMER MCTCR SERVICE
reasonable, RELIABLE. RESPONSIBLE
WE GC
"LEREVER THERE'S A ROAD L A LO;.R
AGENTS FOR
ME1.: METHOD • GLEANERS 5 DAY SERVICE
ECO AGENTS FOR STAR AIRVAYS
LARGEST FLEET OF FLAMES IN AL' L'A
S. N* T^LIUG IrAM EGER