McClusky

The McCluskey brothers of Clear Creek, three miles below Dawson, obtained ‘phenomenal’ results in growing potatoes in the summer of 1906. They planted 175 pounds of seed potatoes in the spring and dug up three and three-quarter tons. Some of McCluskey’s potatoes ran three pounds in weight and those weighing two pounds were common. Many others near Dawson have had similar results this summer.1)

The McCluskys experimented with their potato crops. They crossed the Rochester Rose and the Golden Coin potato varieties one season and got a pink potato. The following season they crossed the pink with the Golden Coin and got a dark blue potato.2) In 1907, ninety sacks, about five tons, came from 275 pounds of seed potatoes sown by the McCluskys. That year the potato crop in Dawson was over 200 tons.3)

1) , 3)
“Yukon Product: phenomenal results obtained in potato raising near Dawson: nearly four tons produced from 175 pounds of seed spuds.” Dawson Daily News (Dawson), 3 October 1906; Sally Robinson, “Humble Dreams: An Historical Perspective on Yukon Agriculture Since 1846.” The Northern Review, Number 32 (Spring 2010): 135-167.
2)
William Steinberg, “Agriculture in the Yukon.” Alaska-Yukon Magazine, Vol. 5, Sept. 1908: 389-394.