Economist Says
Alaskan Food Prices
On Downward Trend
Retail food prices in Alaska
seem to follow the general trend
of U. S. prices with a time-lag
of about three months, according
to Hugh A. Johnson, agricultural
economist with the Alaska Agri
cultural Experiment Station.
The survey of Alaska food pric
es conducted by the economists
the past two years now is being
made on a quarterly basis. Pal
mer prices were 2.3 percent be
low December and 2.6 percent be
low January 15, 1952, at the end
of the first 1953 quarter. Juneau
and Anchorage prices averaged
slightly lower than Palmer while
Fairbanks continued a slow in
crease, being 0.9 percent above
last December and 1.9 percent
above January, 1952.
The data being collected seems
to indicate that Alaskan retail
price reactions occur in progres
sive waves, Johnson said. Juneau,
being the sampling city nearest
Stateside suppliers, reacts first to
the changes. Palmer and Anchor
age react a month or more later,
followed about a month later by
Fairbanks. In view of these con
ditions, it is to be expected, he
said, that the next three months
should see food prices decline
still more in Palmer, Anchorage
and Juneau and begin to decline
in Fairbanks.
Predict More Beef
In Alaskan’s Diels
Alaskans may be eating more
domestic meat soon because beef
prices have dropped to the lowest
point in 15 years, according to
information sent to the Alaska 1
U. S. Department of Agriculture :
Agricultural Extension Service.
The large supply of beef cattle ;
and lower prices caused the
USD A to put beef on its March ]
and April monthly Plentiful 1
Foods lists for the first time in ;
the 15-year history of the pro
gram. 1
1
LOCAL FIRE GUARD
STATION OPENS FOR
ANNUAL FIRE SEASON
"The arrival of Spring is the
reminder of hte approach of the
fire season, identified in Alaska
by the Division of Forestry, as
running from April 30 to Septem
ber 30.
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‘John Bouwers, foretry aid, has
arrived in Palmer to take over j
duties of operating the Palmer
Fire Guard Station. Assisting will
be Darwin Heine, fire control j
man. Bouwers has been with the
Division of Forestry for five
years, the past three in the An
chorage station.
He said this week that the U. S.
Weather Bureau has predicted
this coming season will be the
most severe because of the very
low precipitation the past months.
This will hold true, he said, not
only for public lands but for
private lands and communities as
well. .
Extreme caution when burning
grass, trash and stump rows is
recommended by the fire control
officials. “Keep the burnings a
way from standing timber-burn
in the evening when possible—
grass should be burned in early
morning or late evening — do not
throvr lighted cigarettes from
cars,'’ These were suggestions
passed on by the men. In case of
a fire out of control, Bouwers ask
ed that the Fire Guard Station
be informed as soon as possible.
Residents in the Wasilla area are
asked to call in all reports from
the railroad depot, if posible.
In addition to fire control
duties, the local men will handle
timber permits and information
on small tracts. Anyone desiring
information is asked to call at
the station, located on Fairview
Avenue. Also, those wishing to
offer their help in fire fighting
are asked to leave their names
at the station.
POSTPONE DANCE
Due to continuing bad road con
dition, the dance scheduled to be
held at Community Hall in Was
illa May 2, has been cancelled.
The next dance will be held May
16, to which the public is invited.
FIRE CONTROL ACT
PROVIDES PENALTY
The following is a section from
the Territorial Fire Control Act:
Sec. 65-5-14. ALLOWING FIRE
TO ESCAPE OR FAILURE TO
MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO EX
TINGUISH AS MISDEMEANOR.
Any person having ,or setting,
on fire any timber, brush, grass,
or other inflamable materials,
being or growing on lands owned,
possessed or controlled by him
shall do. so at such time, in such
manner, with such prudent care
as to prevent it from spreading
and doing damage to other prop
erty, and failing so to do he shall
be deemed negligent and guilty of
a misdemeanor: provided, that
any person who, knowing of a
fire unattended shall be deemed
negligent and guilty of a misde
meanor. (L 1943, ch 41, Sec. 4, p
132, amended L 1949, ch 76.)
REHEARSALS STARTED
BY LOCAL ORCHESTRA
The Community Orchestra
held its first rehearsal Sunday
afternoon, April 26 in the Co-Op
club room, with all type instru
ments represented including
strings, reeds, brasses and perus
sion. It was a very successful re
hearsal, in spite of the fact that
most of the music was new to the
players, and required sight-read
ing, Juan J. Miller said this week.
The group is made up of semi
professional, local players, with
no age limits. .Players take turns
choosing musical numbers and
may direct their favorites.
Due to the scarcity of violins
in the community, the orchestra
s made up with reeds predomin
ating. The project has been de
/eloping the past five years, as in
itruments and music were accum
alated. The group has announced
;hey are now ready to function as
i concert or business orchestra
ar commercial band, playing for
aublic meetings of all types.
Players under 21 years of age
ire guaranteed union wages for
•ehearsals and concerts, if they
neet the requirements of mem
aership. Exemplary character
»nd musical ability is required.
This is a self-disciplined “hon
>r” organization, made, up of
mung people and adults who like
o play the best in music, Miller
aid.
Rehearsals will continue until
urther notice, every Sunday af
ernoon at 3 p.m. in the Co-Op :
lub room. There are several vac
mcies yet to be filled in the in- :
trumentation to make it com- i
ilete and well-balanced, Miller, 1
NOTES FROM YOUR \
EXTENSION SERVICE
Fertilizing grass hay in Alaska
can pay off four dollars to every
dollar invested in plant food,'
Dick Blue, district1’ agricultural
agent said this week.
This is a far better return for
Investment than farmers get in
the states, according tb research
done at the Alaska Agricultural
Experiment Station. Best results
are seen in years when there is
plenty of moisture for growing
plants.
Farmers can expect good re
turns from nitrogen applications
as high as 120 pounds per acre
on grass forage, Alaskan Soil
Scientist ’W. M. Laughlin inform
ed Blue. To get this much nitro
gen, the farmer will need to use
either 400 pounds of ammonium
nitrate or 800 pounds of calcium
nitrate. Since nitrogen compounds
must be used with phosphate to
be effective, the farmer could use
180 pounds of 46 percent treble
superphosphate per acre with his
nitrogen.
The soil scientists used this pro
portion to get their $138 in prof
its after all expenses were paid.
They based their calculations on
this year’s fertilizer prices fur
nished by the Matanuska Valley
Farmers Cooperative Association,
labor and machinery costs from
averages reported by Matanuska
Valley farmers, and hay-figured
as worth $80 per ton. In one part
of their experiment phosphate
and potash were used without ni
trogen and resulted in a loss of
$8 per acre.
The same 400 pounds of am
monium nitrate used on corn in
the Southeastern states brought
anly $66 in profits in corn yields
as compared with Alaska’s $138
n hay yield.
Nitrogen, phosphate and pot-;
ash should be applied in early
spring, the district agent said.
Dn level areas fertilizer can be
spread while the frost is still in
.he ground. Early spring applica
:ions are especially good for
growing a hay crop for July har
dest.
If the farmer feeds his stock
an the grass pasture, he may want
:o fertilize again in mid-July.
Such split applications are just
as good as a single early spread
so far as total yields are concern
ad and are especially useful to
stimulate late summer growth.
said. Anyone interested in join
ng the group is invited to attend
he meeting this next Sunday.
1
The Butte
MILE 41 Vz GLENN HIWAY
Featuring
MARION MURRY
with her Hammond organ
Thursday - Friday - Saturday - Sunday
FRIENDLY COURTEOUS SERVICE
Always Take the
AuReRa
BETWEEN ANCHORAGE AND FAIRBANKS
Lv. Anchorage 8:30 A.M.
Ar. Fairbanks 8:30 P.M.
Safe, Dependable DAILY Service
THE ALASKA RAILROAD
2 Station Cows Sot
Production Record
The Alaska Experiment Station
owns two cows that have each
produced over 50 tons of milk, ac
cording to information released
this week by William J. Sweet
man, Animal husbandman at the
station.
The first year record of the
purebred Holstein cow, Carnation
Alaska Clothilde, was lost but
she has produced 126,092 pounds
of milk in 11 lactations. She had
her first calf October 1, 1939, at
the age of 22 months. Her 13th
calf was born October 10, 1952.
She has been an exceptionally
good breeding cow, Sweetman
stated, having had eight heifers
and five bull calves. Six of her
daughters have completed 21 lac
tations for a total of 246,015
pounds of milk. .
Her first cair, a neiier, was
named Alaska Clothilde Ormsby
and has completed 11 lactations
and produced 133,967 pounds of
milk. She first calved August 26.
1941, and has dropped a total of
14 calves, including three pair of
twins. A young son of hers is
now being used in the cooperative
artificial breeding program in Al- i
aska.
It is not often, Sweetman said,
that a cow and her daughter live,
produce and re-produce the way
Carnation Alaska Clothilde and
her daughter, Alaska Clothilde
Ormsby have done. These two
cows probably are the first in Al
aska to produce over 50 tons of
NORTHERN
NEON
HHH CORP.
SIGNS
Trucks, Cars Lettered
Manufacturers of
Neon Signs, Marquees,
Store Fronts and Tube
Lighting
540 Barrow-Dial 4*734
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA ‘
Plans for a press and radio
campaign against wanton and il
legal killing of Alaskan fish and
game was recently announced by
the Alaska Press club. Members
of the club plan to use every
media in their respective fields
to inform the public that Alaska
“ is not the land of plenty as far
as fishing and big game is con
cerned” and that actually many
varieties of fish and game face
extinction because of wanton dis
regard for conservation on the
part of irresponsible persons.
milk each. Certainly they are the
first mother-daughter combina
tion both to ejfceed a 50 ton milk
production record, he said.
< < ««■«« ««««<«
LOYALTY DAY .
Loyalty Day has been proclaim
ed by Governor B. Frank Heintz
leman, as May 1, 1953.
In his proclamation, the gov
ernor announced the Veterans of
Foreign Wars, a patriotic organ
ization founded in 1899, is direct
ing the observance of Loyalty
Day and asked that all Alaskans
note this observance with appro
priate reflection and fitting cere
monies.
L. F. Wiley, Eklutna project
engineer and Joseph Morgan, dis
trict manager from Juneau are
bot^ in Denver, Colorado this
week on business relative to Bu
reau of Reclamation work in the
Territory.
Qei AocjfUaUtted
with
MODERN fecutk
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Many men and women transact business
with us regularly without setting foot inside
the bank. You too, can "Bank by Mail"—
with easy-to-fill-out forms, you can make
deposits, withdrawals, transfers. See us
:3ANK •
BY MAIL*;
MATANUSKA VALLEY BANK
Palmer, Alaska
OPEN FRIDAY EVENINGS 8—8 P.M.
DAILY 10 A.M. — 3 P.M.
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Famous, waters make
A similar pure brewing
water was discovered near
Olympia, Washington in
1895 and, on the site
of these artesian wells,
America’s original light
table beer was brewed and
soon became famous for
its distinctive character
and refreshing flavor.
For centuries, certain localities ia
Europe have been famous for theic
exceptional beers. Each of those
places has enjoyed the advantage of a
faultless type of rare brewing water.
•Trad* Marks fUf*
U. S. Pat. Off.
OLYMPIA BREWING COMPANY, Olympia, Washington, U. S. A.