Expe:k3!ifa! fe
Report :d Sitcesss
Sn frejarinj Land
The Rome disc harrow, pur
chased by the Agricultural Ex*
periment Station as part of their
research program, is reportedly
doing a good job of breaking
land and preparing it for seeding.
The program is part of the Sta
tion’s research to find better and
cheaper ways of clearing land
for farming.
. Roland Grover and Clair Pat
ton, both south of town, have
used the disc to break recently
cleared land. Twice over with
the big disc and once or twice
more with a small farm disc and
the ground was ready for seed
ing, it was stated.
Roots were pretty well cut up
by the 30-inch discs—enough so
that they shouldn’t cause any
trouble with seeding, they stat
ed. Average rate of discing was
about one and one half acres per
hour, to cover the ground, twice.
u taxes a gooa-sizea crawler
tractor to pull it.
Officials said this week that
a public demonstration of the
disc will be held Tues., May 17
during the afternoon at Jack
Newcombe’s farm. At a later
date a demonstration will be held
showing the capabilities of the
root picker which the Station has
purchased for trial.
Anyone interested in using
either the disc or root rake, or in
watching them in operation, may
contact Pat Murphy at the Ex
tension office or Cy Fhanestock
or Ivan Branton at the Experi
ment station.
Gila Monster
Arrives in Palmer
Ever seen a gila (hee-lah) mon
ster? You may soon have the op
portunity, according to Donn
Moyer who this week announced
the arrival of the deadly rep
tile. The “monster”, which mea
sures 18 inches, will be on ex
hibit at the Palmer Shoe Repair,
awaiting the arrival of additional
reptiles which will complete a ;
traveling exhibit, “Jungle Land,”
which Moyer said will be shown
throughout the territory this sum
mer. It is believed to be the first
gila monster in Alaska.
The exhibit is to consist prin
cipally of reptiles. The organiza
tion. has already received one ci
vet cat, the So. African version
of the skunk; and the gila mon
ster. To be shipped from Cle
wiston, Fla. this week are two
So. American alligators. These
are the small speckled, caimen
type. Another shipment expect
ed soon will consist of 20 addi
tional poisonous and non-poison
ous reptiles which will be shipped
from San Gabriel, California.
Moyer said the exhibit will be
shown at various celebrations
and fairs around the territory
this summer.
ALASKA LINE
RE ACTIVATES SHIP
The motorship Palisana was
re-activated by Alaska Steamship
Compart/ on May 3 in order to
meet the seasonal increase in Al
askan activity. An R1-M-AV3
type vessel, the Palisana can
carry approximately 1,200 tons
A
m
SUS S08OTS PLAN
OfMS MAY 20
Yes smee! A warm spring
Oi ecze will soon be v/hisoering
circus, CIRCUS! The Cub Scouts
of Palmer are planning one of
their biggest Pack affairs of the
year for Sunday, May 29. Six
dens of the Palmer area will par
ticipate in staging the first Cub
Scout circus ever presented in
the valley.
Advance preparations are now
going on settling the stage for
tae Circus band, wild animals,
!lde shows, skill games, and re
freshments stands”. The commit
tce hopes to stage the circus on
the Farmers Market lot owned by
the Co-Op. Posters will, announce
iinal plans. Each Den is being
asked to provide two side shows
or booths. Cub Scouts are busy
making their own homemade
cages and animals. Some Cubs
will be peddlers, ticket sellers,
barkers, clowns, etc. Not a Cub
Scout in the valley will be left
out. Den Dads will operate the
refreshment booth as one of their
parts in the circus.
The familiar “Hurry! Hurry!
Hurry!” of the barkers will soon
be heard.
GEORGE GASSER
TO BE GUEST AT
U. OF A. GRADUATION
George W. Gasser, “Alaska’s
first man of agriculture,” will oc
cupy one of the seats of honor
at the University of Alaska’s 33rd
Commencement May 16, Dr. Ern
est N. Patty, university president
announced today when extending
a territory-wide invitation to the
exercises which will commence
d 10 a.m. in the institution’s
gymnasium. He urged the public
to attend.
“Gasser has devoted 48 years
of service to Alaskan agriculture
md it is only fitting that the ter
itory’s center of learning, where
he spent much time, publicly ack
nowledge his contributions to
Alaska,” Dr. Patty said.
The Alaska Agricultural Ex
periment Station recently honor
ed Gasser by giving his name to
a new^ spring wheat it developed.
The new variety was selected
from a hybrid produced by Gas
ser at the station in 1950.
x dry and 1,100 tons of refriger
ated cargo.
Reporters
.^oieb-GcJz
The ambulance recently donat
ed to the Matanuska Valley by
I Aubrey Kaines, is at present
parked at the home of Joseph
Gallant. As soon as the ground
dries up sufficiently enough it
will be housed at the Palmer
Funeral Chapel.
Students from grade seven
through 12 attended the annual
school picnic on Wednesday of
this week. The all-day affair was
held at Barry’s Fingerlake Re
sort and included games, races
i and eats. Teachers were also in
attendance.
Darrell Frank, son of Darrell
Frank of Palmer, is in Palmer
enjoying leave from his duties
with the U. S. Navy. At the com
pletion of his leave he will go
to Norman, Oklahoma where he
• will attend an aviation machin
ist’s specialty school.
Emil Ganschow of the Experi
ment Station is in College on
station business this week.
—
SUGGESTS WAYS
TO LESSEN POTATO
STORAGE LOSSES
Potato storage losses amount
j ing to a quarter of a million dol
! lars a year to Alaskan growers
> may be reduced as a result of_
findings by Alaska Agricultural
Experiment Station scientists.
Dr. Charles E. Logsdon, plant
pathologist at the Station, has
worked with potato grading crews
of the Matanuska Valley Farmers
Cooperating Association to deter
mine causes of storage losses. The
sampie studied revealed an aver
age grade-out loss of 24.6 percent.
I One grower lost over 49 percent
of his stored potatoes; another’s
j culls were only 5.4 percent, Logs
| don said.
Major cause of potato storage
loss in the sample studied was
: rot. Most rots come from fungus
infections of unhealed or poorly
i healed cuts and bruises, he ex
: plained. About half of all culls
were the result of' mechanical
damage.
“There are fewer culls when
potatoes are handled gently,” he
stressed. “That may mean cover
ing digger chain links with rub
ber, padding truck beds used in
hauling, placing tubers in bins
Moore's Garage
GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR
CRANKSHAFT GRINDING
REBORE SERVICE
Phone I3Y2I
Palmer, Alaska
T. A. SMITH SUBDIVISION
, rfown Valiev Sire si. Come up and lake a look
The man is pointing towards dhave lohs ranging from $350 to $1000—with
th. wonderful view for ^^“^LotY aretell“| fait
Two bedroom home with
another 1 bedroom home
and approximately 1 acre
of land—both partially fur
nished—about 7 miles from
Palmer on highway—$1000
down.
10 acres land with 2 bed
room home started with
nice little creek running
through land—5 miles from
Palmer on paved highway.
156 acres land in Big i-&iee
area—creek running thru
property and private lake
of approximately 5 acres
18x20 cabin partly furnish
ed—$1300 down, balance
like rent.
LISTINGS URGENTLY
NEEDED
WE HAVE BUYERS
SEE DICK OR SMJTTY
PHONE 2071
o-Deaxtxjui# iuu wa«r**»**-#
thermopane windows thro
ughout—fireplace, 4 acres
land—one of the nicest
homes in the valley
Basement Home % mile off
pavement. Butte Area
24x30 ft. about 1 acre land
$1500.00 full price.
Lots in Snodgrass - New
comb Subdivision, terms.
E¥
Rudick
—r —nd Mrs. John Rudick of
Palmer are receiving: congratu
'tions on the birth of their fifth
child, a son, who was born at
"’alley Presbyterian Hospital
May 8. Ke has been named Har
old James and weighed seven
pounds, 15 ounces at birth.
Stock
A son, Lindsey Clair, was born
to Mr. and Mrs. Larry C. Stock
at Valley Presbyterian Hospital
on May 11. He is the couple’s
second child and weighed five
pounds, 13 ounces at birth. Mr.
Stock is employed at the Army
base in Anchorage. Mrs. Stock
has been working in the office
of the Matanuska Valley Farm
ers Cooperating Association. Pat
ernial grandparents are Mr. and
Mrs. L. C. Stock of Palmer.
carefully instead of dropping
them in, and encouraging pickers
to be much more careful.
“The necessary precautions
are worth the trouble,” he said.
“In recent years an average of
30 percent of the Alaskan potato
crop has been unmarketable.
When more U. S. No. l’s reach
the market potato growers make
more money and consumers pay
less for the potatoes they buy.”
ALASKA STEAMSHIP
SAILINGS
eA^WEEK )
Serving Alaska Via
Seward or Valdez
S Coastal Monarch
ri., May 20, calling at
itka, Seward (AHR &
an Juan Docks) and
lordova.
‘.S Chena, Tues., May 24,
ailing at Valdez and
eward (ARR Dock).
ALASKA'
STEAMSHIP COMPANY
tee
COURT HEWS
Clifford J. Sexton was fined
$30 and given a 30-day suspend
ed sentence when he was found
guilty of throwing a bottle from
a car, hitting an oncoming car
with the bottle and doing minor
propery damage. He appeared in
U. S. Commissioner’s Court on
May 5 and entered a plea of guil
ty to the charge. The charge was
brought by a citizen.
Martin L. Kammerer, 29, was.
fined $35 in U. S. Commissioner’s
Court on May 10 on a complaint
of excessive speed, brought by
Teixitorial Police. He entered a
plea of guiity to the charge and
was found the same.
New Permit Slips
Required for Salk
Polio Vaccination
According to Dr. C. C. Bail
ey, area health officer, new
permit slips will be sent home
to parents for the Salk polio
vaccination program in the
first and second grades of
- school in P'almer, Chugiak and
Wasilla. Permit slips returned .
to the school at a previous
f (Tfc H <jme
IMci'3 Fue
h Was’lSa Area
Fire, believed to have beer?
eaused from a neglected camp
fire, burned off 18 acres of land
in Wasilla yesterday, Bill Adams,,
forester of the local Fire Guard
Station said today. It was brought
under control last night.
Two fire-fighters from the lo
cal Station were sent to the fire
with equipment. Several towns
people turned out to fight the
fire and Explorer Scouts of Was*
ilia Troop 719 volunteered en
mass. Without this local assist
ance, Adams said, buildings in
the town could have been en
dangered. Ten fire fighters are
being sent into the area today to
keep a control line around the
burned area. Flip LeMeire of the
local Station is fire boss on what
has been named the Cottonwrood
Creek fire.
time will be disregarded ar1
only those pupils who ha' >
the second permit slip will be
permitted to participate in the
immunization program when
the Salk vaccine is made
available, Dr. Bailey stated.
SNACK OR
DINNER
YOU’RE THE
WINNER!
ENJOY
Your Favorite Cocktail or
Mixed Drink!
AT
Alpine Inn
Mil* 61 — Glenn Highway
Phono 1041
THURSDAY - FRIDAY - SATURDAY & SUNDAY
See Saturday Anchorage Times for Sunday and Monday
Specials for Palmer
Ground Beef