CONSERVATION
NOTES
By LEW HANKS
Our winter wind? have started.
I had hopes that we would get
away one winter without a bad
blow or two but we just aren't
lucky. There are a lot of things
we can learn though by observing
the results. Check the width of
the snow cover remaining on the
* lee side of wooded fields. How
far out does the drift extent from
fence hedgerows and brush pat
ches? How far out from the wind
break does the soil begin to show
signs of blowing? Are those
smooth slicked over spots tha’
show soil removal showing up’
How dirty are the drifts getting”
Now is the time to get out and
look.
It’s easy now to figure out
where you should have wind
breaks. Locate them now. Next
spring all you have to do is start
putting them in. Do you know
how to start establishing a wind
break? It’s easy. Just forget to
plow along that strip for a couple
of years. You will have a wind
break started to seed naturally
in that time. Do you want ‘.o
know how to remember to forget
to plow that windbreak location?
* That's easy too. Just drag a few
logs and stumps out in line along
the location of the windbreak.
Then next spring it will be too
much bother to move them so
then it's easy not to plow that
windbreak location.
While the wind howled around
your ears the last few evenings
did you think how nice it would
be also to have a windbreak
' around the house and farm yard?
Well now is a good time to start
on that too.
We seem to be getting a record
snowfall this year. It got a late
start but seems to be making up
the deficit fast.
I suggested last week that we
all check wind erosion after our
blow. We were lucky. The wind
velocity dropped so there was
practically no sod erosion by wind
from that storm. I hope we can
continue to be that lucky.
I saw some interesting figures
on agriculture from Hugh John
son of the Agricultural Research
Administration last week. There
are over 800 producing cows in
the Valley now. It is my own es
timate that there are at least 400
head of additional young stock
being raised. The Valley is begin
ning to grow up.
Another interesting fact is that
the average mdk production per
cow in Alaska is much higher
than is the average in the States.
Ln fact there are only two States
where the average milk produc
tion per cow compares with Alas
f" ka at all. That speaks well for the
^ progressiveness of Alaska farm
ers. Individual head production :s
often much higher than the State
or xerritorial averages. We can
raise our herd averages a lot yet
by good breeding and good feed
ing practices, but even now Alas
Report on Merchants'
1951 Christmas Party
In • final financial report of the
Merchant * Christmas party for
Valley children held at the Val
ley Theater December 24. A1
Hagen program chairman re
ported this week that expenses
were $34 40 more than contribu
tions received this year and the
SI 1.35 left over from the 1950
Christmas party.
A total of $387.35 wii received
•Ins year from the following mer
chants and business and prufes
••;onal people: Con Pearski. A1
Hagen Club 49 Charlie’s Bar-B
Que. Frontier Cafe. Dr F R
Sims. Alaska Railroad employ
ees. Valley Grocery, Hartley
Bros.. North Palmer Store. Palm
er Drug. Palmer Cafe, Clara's
Variety, Elk Lodge. Mac’s Plumb
ing, Steve Ward Brown's Shop.
Palmer Body & Pair.t, Koslosky
ARRC Ncai Wright, Pioneer In
surance. Co-Op Test’s Service,
Betty's, George Johnson. Gras.s
er's Hardware. Severn's Cabinet
Shop. A1 King. Kirk’s Sales &
Service, Martin's West Side Ser
i vice, Bruce Graham. Matanuska
Gardens, Ketchikan Spruce Mills.
Sourdough Bar. Sandvik & Roark
Shorty’s Barber Shop, Palmer
Cold Storage. Pearl White Laun
dry, Ken Foster, Matanuska Press
Matanuska Hotel. Palmer Bar.
Maynard Sands, and the Matanu
ska Hotel Coffee Sh'-p.
Total expenses for the 1951
Christmas narty "7ere $421.75.
bought oranges, apples
candy, nu.,., pea.i^.o. gifts and
prizes, bags, and film rentals. Six
hundred and fifty bags filled by
Women of the Moose were distri
buted to 550 children who attend
ed the party, 15 went to Valley
Hospital, 30 to the \ allev Chris
tian Children's Home, 15 to the
Cather Home and 40 to the El
Nathan Home.
A letter of appreciation was re
ceived from the Valley Christian
Home for Children.
COFFEY INSURES
EVERYTHING! REMEMBER?
ka dairy farmers are on their way
to being pretty efficient.
Potato yields are also going up.
The acreage is decreasing but
yields are increasing. In fact, av
erage yields have about doubled
in the last ten or twelve years.
That indicates some pretty good
farming and fertilizing practices
are used here. Good going.
NOTES FROM YOUR
EXTENSION SERVICE
By RICHARD BLUE
remitter Recommendtltont
Dr Allan Mick in conjunction
with Dr M F Babb and II J
Hodgson of the Alaska Experi
ment Station have prepared .1
new revised copy of Fertilizer Re- |
commendations for Alaska, Th.s
circular has a new section on
home mixing of fertilizers which
outlines the combination that will
1 give you the best buy in avail
able fertilizer materials. This
pamphlet is one of the best sourc
es of information on fertilizers
the farmer can obtain and most
of the recommendations are based
on experience with Alaskan crops
grown in Alaska. Copies can b<
obtained from the Extension Ser
vice office or will be mailed on
request. Nov is the time to line
up your fertilizer supplies for the
coming year. We may have to
substitute for Ammonium nitrate
this year, but there still may be
some hope. I understand Direct
or Don Irwin is working on this
problem in Washington, so more
power to him.
Wasilla Farmer Burns Out
Harold Harris, well known Wa
silla fanner, suffered one of Al
aska's most dreaded hazards
when he lost his home, most of
his personal possessions plus
about 80 tons of potatoes to fire.
Everyone will sympathize with
Harold for the threat of fire
hangs over most Alaskan proper
ty
1952 Handbooks Ready
Farmers who are planning to
■
Piumling
INSTALLATIONS AND
SUPPLIES
HEATING UNiTS
Mac’s Plumbing and
Heating
HIHHUHHHHHHiHHHiHHHHHBflHb
9*tbiod*iGuta the...
Palmer Machinery Co.
PRECISION MACHINE WORK
HEAVY EQUIPMENT REPAIR
DIESEL ENGINE REPAIR
ELECTRIC AND ACETYLENE WELDING
Our
Specialties
Formerly the Corporation Shop and Goodrich Machine Works
it RALPH GOODRICH— Machinist
it L. Z. "JACK" SCOTT— Mechanic
it ALEX "SWEDE" CARLSON— Welder
LOCATED SOUTH OF FAIR GROUNDS ON SPRINGER ROAD. Tel. 81
"IF IT'S MADE OF METAL — IT'S OUR MEAT"
i_I
DON IRWIN S RETURN
TRIP DELAYED
Word ha* born rreeived hero
from Director Don L Irwin of
the Alaska Experiment Station
that hi* return to Palmer ha*
been delayed.
Since hi* conferences in Wash
ington which lasted through the
Chnstmas holiday, he and Mr*
Irv. in have been visiting friends
and relatives in the Midwest
Next week he must return to
Washington to t>e on hand for
the Congressional hearings on
the Department of Agriculture
appropriations bill for the next
fiscal year.
partu p. ti m tr > 1952 Agricul
tural Conservation program can
now pick up the new 1952 hand
book which lists all the practices
and specifications. If you have al
ready made your application we
will send you a handbook. Re
member, applications close the
1st of March in the almer-Wasil
la areas.
OFFICE EQUIPMENT
ACCOUNTING FORMS
OFFICE SUPPLIES
Everything
for the Office
Expert Office
Machine Repairs
COMMERCIAL
STATIONERS
Reed Eldg., Opp. Federal Bldg.
Dial 30515—Anchoraae. Alaska
ll _I
--->
ARC MACHINE SHOP
BURNS AT TOK
Parnate* resulting from a re
cent fin* in the Alaska Road
Commission's machine shop at
rok Junction were estimated at
betvTeen $40,000 and $50,000, a«
cording to Milton Zimmerman
district engineer
The fire was attributed to a
faulty furnace which exploded,
starting the blare in one corner
of the building. ARC personnel
and workers in other govern
ment agencies battled the flames
Valley frontiersman
3
but wtxn maily out tit water
'■apply «>n hand gave out Brfnir
additional water could be obtain
ed, the fire starte d up attain an i
the building was completely d(
.-troyed.
A j*««»d bit of the rollintt st<*rk
was salvage Much of the equip
inent in the building was used
for summei v.ork on the roads
in the 40 mile area and winter
conditions of the highway will
not be affected by the loss
ADVANCE
WATER PUMPS
V4 - V2 - 1 Horsepower Motors
DEEP OR SHALLOW WELL, Complete with Tanks
SURGE MILKING MACHINES
AND COOLERS
Supplies for your Dairy and Barn
STANTIONS, DRINKING CUPS
it MILK CANS, WASH TANKS
i; WATER HEATERS, FILTER DiSCS
rV STRAINERS, M!LK PAILS
it WASHING and EK POWDERS
Co-Op Warehouse
"The Store of Friendly Service"
FEEDS — FERTILIZER — SEEDS
I;i
FARM
SPONSORED by QUAKER OATS
MAKERS OF FUL-O-PEP And MOTHER'S OATS
For The Farmers of Alaska
Through the Facilities of Mutual Broadcasting Company