There is Need for Demonstration Fur Farms
By G. (V Parks in The Alaskan
Acting on the recommendation
of Commissioner Charles H.
Flory, the Department of Agri
culture recently gave approval to
a plan for the establishment of
a federal fur experiment station
in connection with the Marita
College. This attitude of co-op
eration on the part of the Com
missioner and the Department
of Agriculture is highly com
mendable but the reason why
such an institution should be
placed at Fairbanks is not ap
parent.
There is a crying need for ex
perimental research in solving
the problems of the fur farmers.
The fur farming industry in
Alaska is yet in its infancy, but
in view of the numbers engaged
the capital involved, and the
potential importance of the in
industry to the Territory at
large, it devolves upon the feder
al government or the Territory
to encourage the production in
every possible way, and to this
end it would seem only logical
that the work should be carried
on at such a point as will be
most quickly and easily access
ible to those who will benefit by
the contact and in a locality
where natural conditions re
semble those under which the
fur farmers must operate. The
fur farms of the Territory com
prise two major groups: South
east Alaska and Southwest Alas
ka—both situated on the coast
where climatic conditions and
natural feed resources bear no
resemblance to those of Fair
banks cn the great tundras of
the interior.
. .Two or three reasons have
been given for placing the ex
perimental fur farm at Fair
banks and we shall give them
due consideration.
First. “The federal govern
ment already has a similar work
under way at the College, con
sisting of studies in crossbreed
ing reindeer and caribou, and is
also conducting feeding experi
ments with reindeer, etc.”
Just what connection there
can be between experiments with
reindeer and experiments to solve
the problems of the fur farmers,
we fail to see. Where the rein
deer forages on the tundra, the
fur bearers are carnivorous,
feeding largely on scrap fish,
which is not pelntiful around
Fairbanks. The fur farmer wants
to know how to prevent matting
of pelts in a damp climate. Ex
periments at Fairbanks will
hardly suffice as climatic condi
tions in the interior country is
very different from the coastal
climate. The fur farmer has
trouble with intestinal parasites
which in all probability are indi
genous to the soil, feeding and
climatic conditions, none of
which would be the same ai
Fairbanks. Indeed, if we were
to suggest that the reindeer and
caribou experiments should be
conducted in the First Division,
it would be considered ridiculous,
but it wouid be just as reason
able as to try to settle Southeast
Alaska problems at Fairbanks.
Second: “Its establishment at
r=z-—
(-he College would make possible
the savurg in overhead.”
It the institution is so located
that it does not meet the need,
then every cent spent on it is
wasted; time and effort is wast
ed; and the opportunity to do a
genuinely constructive and help
ful work is lost, and there is no
raving whatever. Nor is that all.
While the experts are standing
afar off saving the overhead, the
fur farmers of Southeast Alaska
are losing enough livestock
IACH YEAR to finance such an
institution for ten years, and
that is no idle statement. Shall
we lose our economic existence
in order that we might save a
farthing? Save the industry
fir. t and it will return in ample
measure tlie cost of the effort.
Third. ‘‘The work done at
Fairbanks will be of benefit to
all fur farmers throughout the
Territory, however remote their
locations may be.
Their lccations are not remote
BUT FAIRBANKS IS. In point
of time, a Petersburg rancher
could refer his problems to the
experimental station in New
York as q lickly as he could get
returns fiorn Fairbanks. And as
for making the pilgrimage to the
demonstration farm at Fairbanks
—it just would not be done. The
cost of such a trip is prohibitive
and the time making connec
tions, out of the question. Unless
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