Present Loss Won’t
Exceed Ten Percent
(Continued from page 1)
plant these crops, as soon as it
becomes apparent that the first
seeding is lost. This will neces
sarily make for later crops on
these early garden products but
does not mean that the crop is
lost.
As far as hay, small grains and
potatoes are concerned, farmers
are agreed that these losses have
been minor to date. These crops
represent the major farm prod
ucts of the Matanuska Valley.
Insofar as drought is con
cerned, Valley farmers say
that there is none to dale this
season. It is true that there has
been little rainfall thus far,
but there is more moisture in
the ground this year than
there was in 1947 at this lime,
growers say. They say that
gardens can go another two to
three weeks without rain with
out serious damage from
drought.
Mr. Woods reported that the
most serious damage caused by
the lack of rain has been the dif
ficulty it causes in re-seeding,
where cutworm destroyed early
crops. There is now a top layer
of dry dust over Valley fields,
in which seeds will not germin
ate.
Both cutworm and drought
damage have been particularly
| difficult to estimate, since both
I have appeared in areas of the
I Valley rather than generally.
! Showers have provided needed
moisture for some fields and not
| for others. Cutworms have dealt
heavy damage to some early
crops and have overlooked oth
ers entirely. The cutworm trou
ble has been most serious in the
farming area south of Palmer.
A number of farmers and
farm experts were questioned
about the 60 per cent crop loss
yesterday. Their response to the
question follows:
Parker Lester, Extension
agent: “I haven’t heard anything
about such extensive damage.
There has been some loss, due
principally to cutworms. I don’t
believe there has been any real
drought loss yet, for the ground
seems to be in better condition
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Frontier Cafe
welcomes your patronage
DICK AND AGNES BROOKS, Proprietors
Palmer, Alaska
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Palmer
CO-OP GARAGE v
W w* « phone 17yni
Drop in and See Us
at the
Alpine
At Sutton
Mile 61 Glenn Highway
Cabins, meals, cocktail bar. liquor store for your convenience.
A cozy place with a friendly atmosphere.
O'NEILL & SONS
Mr. and Mrs. Gulbranson, Managers
Remember, ft. Alpine Inn-3 mile, from Joneeville.
OPEN 24 HOURS
For Reservations
Call Long Distance
Theatre — Mon., Wed., Fix.. 8 p.m.
trt VOO/J-CAQ
now so far as moisture is con
cerned than it was last year. The
general outlook is for a better
crop than last year’s.”
C. W. Peiers, general manager
of the Alaska Rural Rehabilita
tion Corporation: ‘ Within my
knowledge, both from my own
experience and from my talk
with farmers, the damage is not
yet extensive. Both the cutworms
and the dry spell have been spot
ty. In my discussion with the
Valley’s farmers, I have heard
no loss figure placed as high as
t>0 per cent, although it is pos
sible that individual farms have
lost that much. As far as rain
goes, it seems safe to say that
rain any time within the next
two or three weeks will be soon
enough to save the crops.”
Virgil Eckert, farmer: “The
farms out our way (north of Pal
mer) have had no damage at all.
Hay, grain and potatoes are do
ing fine so far, for there’s lots
of moisture in the soil. While
rain will help, the lack of it
hasn’t hurt us and isn’t likely to
for the next two or three weeks.
I have checked with a number of
farmers in our area, and they all
say their crops are doing well.
None seem to have been dam
aged by cutworms, although I
know there are spots in the Val
ley where the worms are bad.”
Lynn Sandvik, 4-H Club lead
er and prize-winner for garden
products at several Matanuska
Valley fairs:
"The cutworms axe bad. but
not that bad. They have been
much worse. They don't seem
to have hurt the potatoes, the
Valley's principal crop. They i
will slow things down, but
they won't spoil the crop. The
drought is not severe enough
yet to spoil the crop, either.
We'll just keep planting. One
year we planted three times
but we still had a crop/'
Max Sherrod, farmer: “The
worms haven’t been bad out
here, and there’s still plenty of
moisture in the soil. Oh, we’ve
had some damage — I figure
about 5 per cent, but maybe it’s
only 3 per cent. But I always
plan on some loss, and I plant
more than I plan to sell. The cut
worms did take one field of car
rots pretty badly, but that’s the
worst damage they did. I hear
they are much worse south of
town.”
M. D. Snodgrass, farmer and
head of Co-op crop growers: "It’s
still too early to tell what the
crop loss will be, for the season
is not yet far enough along to tell.
There has been some loss, but
I’ve heard of nothing like 60 per
cent.”
Glen Wood: “There has been
some loss to cutworms, but I be
lieve the general crop outlook is
good. The early crop sustained a
considerable loss, but I see no
reason to anticipate, at this time,
a loss in our major crops of broc
coli, celery, cabbage and cauli
flower, turnips and rutabagas,
hay and small grains. I do not
expect more than a 10 per cent
loss in reseeded lettuce, although
a good part of the early plant
ings are gone. Carrots have been
hurt and the crop will be short,
since it is too late to replant.
Late onions are not hurt badly.”
Mr. Wood estimated that
reseeding necessitated by
worm damage, as well as cost
of chemicals used to stop the
pests, would not add more
than 10 per cent to his total
farm operating cost this sea
son.
Art Thompson, Valley farmer
who specializes in the produc
tion of green produce, has suf
fered almost no crop loss this
year. His crops were almost en
tirely wiped out in the 1945 cut
worm damage.
CARPENTERS TO ELECT
Members of the Valley Car
penters' Union, Local 2251,
will meet in special session
tonight to elect officers for the
coming year, it was an
nounced by president Chek
Sandvik. The meeting will be
called to order in Carpenters'
Hall at 8 o'clock. All mem
bers are urged to be prompt in
their attendance.
.V
Mac’s Plumbing and Heating Shop
(Butnunt of Ward Bldg.)
’
For Plumbing Supplies and Repairs
ALL WORK GUARANTEED—PHONE 33
We’ve Got New Equipment
and
We’ve Got Experienced Help
Therefore we can assure you of the best
possible cleaning service
at
BROWN'S SHOP
FRESH HALIBUT
makes a welcome change in your dinner menus
We've also a complete new selection of fresh-frozen fruit
and vegetables to complete the meal.
PALMER COLD STORAGE & LOCKER SERVIC
See Alaska
As it really is — in color
with
a complete selection of beautiful
Alaskan Kodachromes
The perfect gift for your friends Outside
50c Each $5 a doze
PALMER PHOTOGRAPHIC CENTER
ART AND GIFT SHOPPE
NOTICE
Everyone carrying an account with us is askei
to bring his last statement to the office now lo
cated in our temporary store, in order that we ma;
again set up our books. Because our loss has been
great, payment of any accounts carried on our
books would be greatly appreciated.
DhitQ £tou
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FOUR TRIPS DAILY
Matunuska Valley Bus Linei
LEAVING PALMER FOR ANCHORAGE
(Daily except Sunday)
6:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. 6:00 p.r
LEAVING ANCHORAGE FOR PALMER
(Daily except Sunday)
9:00 a.m. 12 Noon 4:30 p.m. 9:00 p.i
LEAVING PALMER FOR JONESVILLE
7:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.
LEAVING JONESVILLE FOR PALMER
8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
ON SUNDAY. LEAVING PALMER
9 a.m. 6:00 p.m.
ON SUNDAY. LEAVING ANCHORAGE
Noon 9:00 p.m.
Palmer ticket office at Charlie's Bar-B-Cue
or the Sourdough Club