Cereal growing in Alaska

• Main Authors: Georgeson, C. C., Gasser, G. W.
• Format: Report
• Language: unknown
• Published: Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. 1926
• Subjects: Grain; Alaska; Agriculture; Cereal; glaciers
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11122/9697

Prior to the establishment of the Alaska Agricultural Experiment Stations it was almost universally believed that Alaska was a frozen, inhospitable wilderness, and therefore worthless for agricultural purposes. Even as late as 1899 it was declared wholly unreasonable to expect anything like cereals to grow so far north, this statement being fortified by an account of the glaciers and ice fields that the tourist sees in the coast region. To-day, however, public opinion is favorably changing as the result of experiments carried on by the stations; and it is beginning to be realized that the country has great agricultural possibilities, its productive power being merely a matter of development. (Fig. 1.) Brief history of the work with cereals -- Climate and soil -- Clearing land -- Cultural conditions -- Areas available for grain growing -- Methods of culture -- Yields -- Maintenance of soil fertility -- The home market -- Classification of wheat as to season of maturity -- Some varieties tested at the stations -- Hybridization work -- List of hybrids -- Summary