REINDEER AS FOOD.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17106, 30 March 1921, Page 11

REINDEER AS FOOD.

• .-! ♦ SOLD TS SEATTLE. ." (jROM OCtt OWN COKBBSPONDEHT.) • SAN FRANCISCO, March 1. The Pacific Coast cities hav« been intensely interested in-the appearance in' Seattle restaurants of "prime" reindeer steaks, which have been placed as toothsome morsels before discriminating habitues, and the movement to find, a good substitute to the fast-diminishing supplier of beef has resulted in. a longstatement issued in Washington being widely circulated throughout the Umt«t States intimating that Santa, Claus's reindeer have promise of becoming * factor in the meat supply of America as they arc in Scandinavia,- where reindeer meat la»t year sold .at a price than beef or mutLon.. ' The United Scates Government has announced its determination to assist in placing the infant industry of Alaslca on its feet by experiments in increasing the reindeer's weight to about double its present average, scientifically hreeding them, finding ranges, -andj scientifically studying- their diseases, parasites, and grazing problems. Provision is made in the Agricultural Appropriation BUI of this year for that purpose. ' . ... Dr. E. W. Nelson, chief of the biological survey, in urging the appropriation, told Congress there were about 200,000 reindeer in Alaska, of which about three-fourths belong to the natives and afodut one-fourtn to the Government And to white owners who have started a commercial industry in. reindeer "growing for meat; These reindeer multiplied from an original importation *of 1280 animals made 28 years ago, for the benefit of the Eskimos. "People have asked me what the future of the industry is likely to be," said Dr. Nelson. "I have replied by asking them the question: 'lf 1280 reindeer in 28 years produced the present 200,000 animals, what is likely to be the increase from 200,000 animals-in the next 28 years?' The increase is almost unbelievable. In other words, the industry, properly handled, should have a great future. ' ; . "The Alaskan firm which has started .the industry exported . IGOO head to Seattle last year. They have established four small cold-storage plants at pointsmen the Alaskan coast, where the reindeer can readily be driven down for slaughter to be refrigerated and loaded for shipment. I have recently'been studying the possibilities of the Alaskan reindeer industry when wellf dweloped. I believe Alaska contains available range, to maintain from four to five million reindeer. The estimate has been made that it would take care of 10,000,000, but I think that is too high. "JTivo million reindeer would give an output of about 1,200,000 reindeer a year. ''Dressed for market one now averages 150 pounds. Taking this weight and the present value of reindeer meat, the fully (Teveloped reindeer industry in Alaska should yield approximately 43,000.000 dollars a year. Reindeer have been in Alaska 28' years, anjl th,adr increase tinder crude methods of handling has been almost startling. Under proper scientific supervision and modern methods the industry should develop very rapidly."