Ársrit Skógræktarfélags Íslands - 15.12.1946, Side 53

51
assitants for two weeks, for the same purpose. The cones were shipped
to Cordova, where Mr. E. M. Jacobsen did us a most valuable service
by thrashing them and packing the seeds for shipment to Iceland.
Thus we obtained some 120 kilos of Sitka spruce seed from the above
mentioned places and a small amount of Mountain hemlock seed.
In addition we gathered both roots and seeds of different species
which we thought might prove valuable additions to the Icelandic
flora.
On September í^th I left Point Pakenham for Anchorage, where
I stayed for a week. There I got some White spruce cones at an
altitude of 400 meters. Of great help to me was Mr. R. R. Robinson,
who is Chief of the Alaska Fire Control Service. Mr. Robinson and
his assistant Mr. Pat White, drove me all over the neighbourhoocl and
I am extremely indebted to them for their kincl help and hospi
tality. Besides this, Pat White took me to the Matanuska Valley,
the main agricultural clistrict of Alaska. There many interesting things
were to be seen, such as the soil formation which is the same as in
Iceland and the rccent wind erosion in a few places, which certainly
reminded me of many places at home.
On the 2 ist of September I left Anchorage and my friends there
and joined Vigfús again in Seward. From there we went to Lawing
where we stayed a few days collecting cones and seeds. I would like
to mention the roadhouse where we put up. We were given quarters
by an elderly lady Mrs. Nelly Lawing. The station bears her name
as it is common in Alaska that places are named for those who
first settle there. She swears and says „God damn it“ but she is a
good-hearted, fine woman. She showed decided skill in aclapting
herself to pioneer life when young. She is now a widow and keeps a
rahbit farm and sells coffe and meals to travellers.
On the first day, Vigfús and I went out collecting seed, rowed
across the Kenai Lake and after a strenuous walk to the height of
600 meters above sea level, we found a most beautiful Sitka spruce
which had an unusual profusion of cones at the top. We had to fell
the tree, even though we felt tliat it was quite a shame, and we got
nearly half a sack of cones from this one tree in the belief we
should get many fine trees for our own country.
After having worked for three days in the vicinity of Lawing we
returned to Seward and delivered our cones to the ranger, Mr. Stephen-
son who kindly promised to thrasli them and send us the seed. I.ater
on he sent the secd together with aspen cuttings which Mr. Jack Lean
of Cooper Landing had taken for us. Mr. Stephenson brought this
011 board the steamer Yukon which was wrecked shortly after it left
the harbour. I felt very sorry to have lost the excellent seed and the
different samples we had gathered in those days on the beautiful