Valley Farmers' Need for Nitrogen
A Major Crop Problem for 1952
Investigation by the Alaska Ex
periment Station disclosed this
week that Matanuska Valley
farmers may be able to obtain
ammonium nitrate fertilizer for
next season's crops despite earlier
reports to the contrary.
Admiral Joseph Greenspun. i
commander of Alaska’s 17th Coast
Guard District, assured Experi- j
ment Station officials that his dis
trict had no intention of banning
movement of ammonium nitrate
through Alaska’s ports providing
such shipment conformed to U. S.
Code regulations.
On the other hand, Lilly Com
pany. chief suppliers of fertilizer
to Alaska, apparently fears that
the national ban against move
ment of ammonium nitrate thru
U. S. ports may prevent its being
shipped from Seattle. The na
tional ban was imposed after a
shipload exploded in 1947, nearly
destroying the southern port of
Texas City. Alaska has continued
to receive ammonium nitrate de
spite persistent rumors that the
ban would be extended to include
all Pacific ports.
Cheapest Form of Nitrate
Excepting manure, ammonium
nitrate is the cheapest form of ni
trogen fertilizer. About 400 tons
were imported by Alaska farm
ers this year. It is well adapted
for use in cold soils because it
contains nitrate nitrogen. A pos
sible substitute offered by Lilly
Company is Nu-Green, which is
DuPont’s trade name for urea.
Urea contains 44 percent nitrogen,
all in the ammonia form, which
isn’t considered too good for cold
soils. Experiment Station tech
nicians explain that most of the
ammonia in urea must be chang
ed to nitrates before the nitrogen
can be used by growing crops.
This change is made by soil mi
croorganisms that grow only after
the soil is fairly warm—maybe
not until late June or early July.
On the contrary, nitrate nitrogen
is immediately available, regard
less of how cold the soil may be.
That’s why Experiment Station
men say ammonium nitrate is a
good fertilizer: The nitrate nitro- j
gen is available early while the
ammonia part remains in the soil!
and furnishes a continuous source j
of nitrogen during the later part i
of the season. In addition, these
fertilizer experts add, urea is an
expensive fertilizer as compared
with ammonium nitrate.
Other possible substitutes for j
ammonium nitrate are ammo-,
nium sulfate, sodium nitrate, and
calcium nitrate. Ammonium sul
fate has the same disadvantage as
urea, since it contains no nitrate
nitrogen. Experiment Station
technicians recommend sodium
nitrate over calcium nitrate for
most soils in the Matanuska Val
ley, especially in the Butte area
and from Palmer to Wasilla
where most fields contain lots of
calcium. Calcium nitrate can be
used to a good advantage on acid
soils west of Wasilla and in the
Anchorage-Spenard areas. Nitro
gen in all three of these fertilizers
is expensive.
Good Fertilizer Buys
Mixed fertilizers, especially the
high analysis grades like 11-48-0
(Ammophos), 10-20-10, 10-20-5,
and 5-20-10 are good buys where
a farmer can’t manage to mix his
ARMY COMMISSIONS
OFFERED TECHNICAL
SPECIALISTS, OTHERS
College graduates with no pre
vious commissioned military ser
vice. between the ages of 21 and
27, who possess a doctor’s ox
master’s degree from an accredit
ed college, or who have a bachel
or’s degree plus three years’ ex
perience in his field, may apply
for a commission as 2nd lieuten
ant in the regular Army, it was
announced recently by the Office
of Public Information.
Other applicants who have
more than three but less thar
seven years’ commissioned ser
vice may be appointed a first
lieutenant.
Commissions will be given ir
the: Corps of Engineers; Ord
nance; Quartermaster; Signal
and Transportation Corps.
Degrees should have beer
earned in biochemistry, nucleai
physics, bacteriology, meteorol
ogy, hydrology, geology, electron
ics. cartography, metallurgy, en
gineering or other critically
essential technical specialties.
Additional information may b*
obtained from Major C. W. Brad
ley, Adjutant General’s Office
Headquarters, United States Ar
my, Alaska.
own. A 10-6-4 mix may be offeree
this year. It is well adapted foi
bromegrass and lawns which car
use from 600 to 1,000 pounds pei
acre to good advantage. Treble
superphosphate and nuriate o:
potash will continue as favorite:
writh farmers who like to tailor
make fertilizers to suit require
ments of individual fields.
Coffey Insures Everything—
Remember?
*********************-***
>**********************
We Invite You To
The Butte /»*
CHUCK WAGON DINNERS
All You Con Eat at $3.00 Per Person
Every Tuesday Night
Mile 41 Palmer Highway
***********************************************~
Moore's Garage
General Automotive Repair
Crankshaft Grinding
Rebore Service
Post Office Box 789
Palmer, Alaska
'a-*********************
CONSERVATION
NOTES
By LEW HENKS
Crops are pretty well in by
now. In another month or two we
will get all the odd jobs done that
! we were going to do last spring/
Then we can toast our shins while
the wind howls outside. The cows
will be contented and happy in a
well sheltered barn. Feed is all in
the barn or silo. We won’t have
to fight the cold wind at all. Hap
py dreams—well maybe we won’t
quite achieve that happy situation
this year but we’ll sure make it
next year. We can sort of take
stock of the situation though.
Feed supplies for the winter look
short. Hay yields are down and
the weather has been poor. Some
grain has been lost by wet weath
er. There is a lot of grain yet to
be thrashed so I have no figures
on probable total yields. Straw
for bedding is also short. I have
been looking over the possibility
of getting a wood chipper into'
the Valley to make bedding from
; wood chips. Wood chips make
I good bedding. They're being used
| in quite a few places in the East.
11 can’t think of a better way to
1 use up the small timber that oth
i erwise goes into the stump row.
The loafing shed type of housing
requires about twice the bedding
that stantion type housing does.
I would be interested in hearing
■ v.hat people think. Are you all
well supplied or would you be
willing to cut wood and pay some
rent on a chipper to get next
year’s supply of bedding materi
al? Your local Soil Conservation
i Sub-district would like to know.
POT LUCK DINNER
| FOR BETA SIGMA PHI
Beta Sigma Phi plan a pot-luck
' dinner for their next meeting to
: be held Monday night, November
5 in the basement of the Lutheran
Church.
All members and invited guests
are asked to be present for early
dinner at 6-30. A program will
follow.
************************Jf
Enforcement Director
For OPS Named
Juneau — George N. Apostol
who has been assistant attorne'
general of Alaska since April, ha
been appointed enforcement di
rector for the Office of Price Sta
bilization. The announcement w?
made recently by Fred G. Han
ford, Territorial OPS Director.
Apostal will head investigatioi
and enforcement activities fo
OPS for the entire Territory. H<
expects to build a staff of eigh
or 10 special agents.
“Our plan for the time beini
is to work with and assist th<
merchants in complying with reg
ulations,” Apostol said. “In du
time, of course, it may be neces
sary to bring action against wil
ful violators.” Apostol receive*
his B. A. degree from the Univer
sity of Washington and his lav
degree from Gonzaga Universit;
in Spokane. He was in priva*
practice in Omak, Wash., and Se
attle until he came to Alaska li
April to work with Territorial At
torney General J. Gerald Willi
LETTERMEN’S CLUB
ORGANIZED AT
PALMER HIGH
The Lettermen's Club of Pal
men high school is being orga
nized after two years of inac
tivity, under the sponsorship of
Coach Bob Crites.
Eligibility is restricted to boys
who have received a Varsity let
! ter in some sport and to cheer
leaders who have earned a letter
in previous years.
Those eligible for admittance
' are, Gus Klem, Chuck Milles.
j Monte Larsh, Richard Geiwit*
Gary Davey. Bob Lacher, Jim
’ Hitchcock, John Brown. Barbara
? Terapelli, Geraldine Kindgren
' and Genevieve DeLand.
The Lettermen’s Club appoint
ed a committee to draw up a con
stitution as an organization can
* not function under the Palmei
School without a charter from the
' Student Council.
The purpose of the club is to
? meet visiting teams, and provide
transportation and entertainment.
l
-1 ams. He is married and has three
- children.
171
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DETOUR- -
COME IN FOR A WHILE—
ENJOY A CUP OF COFFEE.
ALONG WITH VELMA'S SMILE
THE FRONTIER CAFE
MAURINE AND EVELYN
is:
Free Estimates on Your
Roofing Needs
We ue in PALMER every second and fourth Monday
ALASKA ROOFING CONTRACTORS
in rear of 519 E 5th Avenue
Box 162, Anchorage, Alaska—Telephone 28753 or 40535
IT'S NO MYSTERY!
FUEL
OIL
By RADIO
The only mystery about the whole thing is that we
didn't do it sooner. What. Why equip our delivery
trucks with radio receivers.
It has done away with all waiting. Just phone 76 and
your oil is delivered pronto. "Join the regulars"—let
us keep you in fuel oil without the bother of your
having to call in.
PLACE YOUR ORDER TODAY WITH
ALASKA SALES & SERVICE (Consignee)
Phone 76
Palmer
UNION Oil COMPANY
IIA