Flying Cows Boost
Co-Op Milk Sales
450 Pounds Daily
Fifteen aristocratic bovine la
dies, five of them anticipating a
blessed even within a month,
made the journey from Vancou
ver, B. C.. to Palmer on Wednes
day of this week, with scarcely a
hair on their glossy hides unruf
fled They’re completely season
ed travelers now, though, for the
Canadian immigrants traveled by
train, truck and plane to reach
their new homes in Valley barns.
The air lift, viewed with some
misgiving by officials of the
Matanuska Valley Farmers’ Co
Operating Association, was hard
er on attendant Merle Anderson
than on the cows, who weren’t
informed that the Anchorage
field probably would be closed
in on their arrival. Mr. Anderson
knew that there was a strong pos
sibility of a break in flight at
either Yakutat, Homer or Fair
banks, and with 15 cows on his
hands he wasn’t looking forward
to' milking time.
Tho complete airload totaled
19,000 pounds Individual bos
sies tipped the scales at an aver
age of 1,089 pounds, which is a
bit heftier than the average cow
admits to.
The freight cost to farmers was
about $200 per cow, but the in
dividual farmer expects to re
cover that cost through milk sales
in a short time. The cows were
milked, and the milk was deliv
ered for sale to the Co-Op, on the
morning of their arriva lhere.
The 10 milking cows now give a
total of 450 pounds of milk. Their
production is expected to be in
creased to 750 or 800 pounds
within a month, when the re
mainder of the herd freshens and
'each cow again reaches peak pro
duction
Boat freigh on the animals
would average about $100 each,
but milk would be lost for 10 to
12 days, and the cows arrive here
in much poorer condition, with a
longer period of time required to
bring them back to peak condi
tion.
The fact that the Canadian ani
mals haven’t switched to winter
fur coats yet, may slow up pro
duction somewhat: Vancouver
weather is considerably milder
than that in Palmer.
Farmers who received cows
from this first shipment were
Clair Patten, Hobert Webb, Ray
'Rebarchek. Clifton Grover. Henry
Jensen, Roy Newell and Clarence
- Hoffman.
Teachers Scatter,
WASILLA — Christmas holi
days, Christinas parties and
Christmas programs are the most
important news in Wasilla this
• week.
Many of Wasilla’s teachers have
elected to vacation at home
Among them are Frank Jones,
who will spend his vacation
. working on the school lunch
room. Ernest Line will use his
time to become acquainted with
his wife and daughter, and Mrs.
lara Slumbarger will do the same
with her daughter and grandchil
dren.
Mrs. Margaret Turner plans to
visit friends in Homer, returning
to Wasilla after Christmas Miss
twjjprcnn loaupg fnr her
home at Arlington, Colo., on Dec.
20. While at home, Miss Ander
son will attend her sister’s wed
ding. She will be back in Wa
silla on Jan 2.
Miss Mary Beth .Loshbaugh
leaves for McGrath on Dec. 23 to
spend her holiday with friends
there.
Christmas programs and par
ties began on Dec. 20, when the
Wasilla Grange held a party, be
ginning at 6 p. m, at Community
Hall.
Yesterday, the Wasilla school
program was held at 7 p. m.
I
TOST’S SERVICE
Palmer, Alaska
ERRY
HRI5TM
TO YOU
AND YOUR WHOLE
FAMILY... OUR
^EST WISHES.
/—
Lou’s Beauty
Shop
> > > >-»->-> > > > > > > ■> ->-> > >■> >>>>>*> >->-> >■,>»>>
lAPpy New J^ear- 1950;
if
Here*s a
sincere hope that
this will be
the best year
oj your life.
FRONTIER BAR AND LIQUOR STORE
Palmer, Alaska
y k
y k
JK
J k
> k
J <
J k
J k
J k
J k
j i
>k
j k
>k
j k
> k
j k
>k
>k
> <
j k
y k
y k
y <
> k
y ^
y.
y k
y k
y k
y k
y k
j k
y k
jl
J k
y k
y k
> k
>k
yk
yk
y <
yk
A
j k
yk
y k
y k
yk
A
yk
A holiday season brightened
with the rare joys of the
^ood old days of long ago—
that’s our Christmas wish for
<sr sa wr
GRASSER'S HARDWARE &
SPORTING GOODS