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National Geographic : 1909 Jul
Contents
AGRICULTURAL CAPACITY OF ALASKA western Alaska extend some eight de grees farther south. Now, Finland has a total area of 148,000 square miles, or, in round numbers, one-fourth the area of Alaska. But one-third of Finland con sists of marsh land and inland lakes, and another one-third is forest land. The agricultural area therefore, includ ing the area covered by streams, towns, etc., does not exceed 50,000 square miles. But Finland supports a population of 3,000,000 people, or 60 persons per square mile of area utilized for agri cultural purposes. Would it be unrea sonable to suppose that the agricultural area of Alaska can, and eventually will, support an equal population of 60 per sons to the square mile? If it is not, then Alaska can support a population of 6,000,000 people. But 3,000,000 may be deemed a conservative estimate. We have reasons for believing that Alaska may equal Finland in agricultural production. Temperature is the chief controlling factor in the production of agricultural crops, and the temperatures, both in the coast region and in the inte rior of Alaska during the growing sea son, compare favorably with the re corded temperatures of Finland. The available data of the two countries are, however, not comparable, due to the difference in method of recording the data. In Alaska we base the average temperature on the recorded daily maxi mum and minimum temperatures-that is, an average temperature which is the mean of these two, while the recorded temperatures of Finland are based on three observations taken at seven in the morning, at two in the afternoon, and at nine in the evening. While these data include the maximum temperature of the day, which usually occurs about two o'clock, they do not include the minimum temperature, which occurs usually some time after midnight, and the mean, based on the three recorded figures, is higher than it would be if the minimum temper ature was taken into account. Owing to this difference we cannot draw any accu rate comparison, but the facts are we grow vegetables and grains with about the same success that these are grown in Finland. Finland is a noted dairy coun try. The agricultural exports consist chiefly of butter, cheese, and beef from slaughtered dairy animals. In Alaska cattle feed can be grown in any quantity and it can therefore also become a great dairy country. DRAWBACKS TO SETTLEMENT As yet there are but few farmers in Alaska, and these are chifly disappointed prospectors, who have found that they can make more money raising products to supply the local market than they can mining. Nor is there any immediate prospect that the country will be settled with a farming population. Congress has generously enlarged the homestead in Alaska to 320 acres, but even this does not attract prospective farmers except to a very limited extent. The reason is that it is too expensive for a farmer in the states to move his family and equipment to the northland and there begin as a pioneer. Lack of transportation facili ties is a barrier at once both to the influx of people and to the export of such produce as they might raise. Until the transportation problem is solved Alaska will have but few immigrants aside from those who come for the purposes of trade and mining, but these conditions will be remedied as the resources of the country are developed. The rich deposits of gold, copper, and coal are bound to be developed, and with this development there will be a general advance, not only in transportation conditions, but in social and economic conditions, and there will be a corresponding growth in the num ber who take advantage of the agri cultural possibilities of the country. 679
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