Imperial County CA Archives History - Books .....Agriculture 1918 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 15, 2006, 7:11 am Book Title: History Of Imperial County California CHAPTER VIII AGRICULTURE BY WALTER E. PACKARD THE spectacular incidents connected with the reclamation of the desert and with the subduing of the turbulent Colorado have given Imperial Valley a charm of romance that is hard to equal. A history of agriculture under such conditions must be a story of human interest as well as a statistical record of development, for the tabulation of crop values and crop increases, or a simple study of varieties and yields would neglect the record of human endeavor which has overcome obstacles well nigh insurmountable. The spirit of the pioneer who traveled across the wind-blown wastes to build homes and schools in the board and canvas shanties of the pre-railroad days is the real force that has made possible the remarkable development in Imperial Valley agriculture. The rich natural resources in climate, soil and water furnished the necessary raw material for the fashioning of most productive farms by the pioneers. The farming was at first rather crude, but in fifteen years the production has gone from nothing to an annual output of over twenty million dollars' worth of farm products. On account of the roughness of some of the lighter soils the harder clay soils were the first to be farmed, and many discouragements were encountered during the early days. As the valley settled up the rougher areas were leveled and put into crop, so that now over four hundred thousand acres are under cultivation. The barley and grain sorghums of the early days, although still of importance, do not command the same relative place with other crops. There is no agricultural area in the world where the climatic conditions are more extreme than in Imperial Valley. Located below sea level, with a record of humidity below that of the Nile Valley, with an annual rainfall varying from two to three inches, and with temperatures as high as are recorded in any agricultural area, Imperial Valley at least presents conditions that are unusual. The early spring and long growing season make specialization possible. Imperial Valley has become famous for its production of out-of-season crops, such as cantaloupes, early-table grapes or lettuce, for the crops of high value and unusual interest such as dates and cotton, and for the large yields of field crops made possible by the long growing season. The low humidity, fewer cloudy days, the greater intensity of sunlight, and the higher temperatures associated with the lack of rainfall in this arid belt, produces an environment widely different from the conditions in the rainfall sections of the South or Middle West, or in the semi-arid sections of California. The following table gives a general comparison between the meterological conditions in Imperial Valley and other sections: TEMPERATURE AND RAINFALL RECORDS A B C D E F G H Calexico 10 0 121 18 61.6 9.3 0.64 3.58 Merced 36 173 120 16 53.2 23.7 4.2 10.3 Phoenix, Ariz 10 1068 119 17 69 Cairo, Egypt 10 100 112 31 67 Greenville, Miss 38 397 105 5 64 66.6 32.32 48.01 Savannah, Georgia 58 65 105 8 65.5 73.3 33.5 40.42 Column Headings: A – No. of years record B - Elevation C - Maximum Temperature D - Minimum Temperature E - Mean Temperature F - Maximum rainfall G - Minimum rainfall H - Mean annual rainfall Irrigation has had a slight effect on the relative humidity of the Valley, and it is probable that as the irrigated area extends the humidity may continue to rise slightly, enough perhaps to allow sensitive crops to grow which at present do not find congenial conditions in Imperial Valley. This increased humidity, due to irrigation, has proved to be entirely local, however, as the amount of evaporation from the irrigated area has not been sufficient to affect the climatic conditions in the general locality. A study of the change of humidity from the desert to the central portion of the Valley shows a decided difference, a rather abrupt change occurring on the line between the desert and the irrigated area. The humidity immediately about the plants in the field is often high on account of the rapid evaporation from the irrigated land and on account of the rapid transportation of moisture from the leaves. The distinct advantages offered by the climate in Imperial Valley are the earliness and the long growing season. These were soon capitalized by the settlers, who developed early truck which soon surpassed the records from other States. Imperial Valley became known as the cantaloupe paradise of the country, and over five thousand cars were shipped from the Valley in 1917. Other truck was developed and is rapidly gaining ground. Live-stock of course became an important part of the Valley's industries, for the long season for pasture and the large yields of forage to be secured offered very favorable conditions for cattle, hogs and dairy stock. The extreme heat and intense sunlight during the early summer months were too severe for certain sensitive plants such as the avocado or the mango, and trials of these and other similar fruit failed, although these same conditions have proved congenial to the date, which bids fair to be one of the important outputs in the near future. The development of agriculture in any country is more or less governed by the soil conditions found in the particular localities, and Imperial Valley is not an exception to the rule. The soils are rich from the standpoint of mineral plant food elements, and if properly handled are very productive. The types vary from the heavy clay, which is exceedingly fine and hard to work, to the loosest sands, which are porous and contain little organic matter. The kind of crop grown is determined largely by the type of soil. The truck and fruit planting are located on the sands and sandy loams, while the grains, both barley and wheat in winter and milo or corn in the summer, on the clay loams and clays. All of the soils are deficient in organic matters, as would be expected, and alfalfa is therefore used almost universally as a humus producer. Land that has been in alfalfa for years is worth far more than raw land for truck, cotton or fruit, and is, of course, in great demand. The addition of organic matter, especially through the growing of alfalfa, proved not only important, but necessary in the early history of the Valley. Much confusion occurred during the early days on account of the reported presence of excessive alkali salts. History has proved that these salts do exist in excessive quantities in certain portions of the Valley, while as a whole the agricultural area is comparatively free from excessive quantities for ordinary field crops. A discussion of agriculture in Imperial Valley would not be complete without a word regarding the water for irrigation. There is no stream in America which carries more silt per unit volume than does the muddy Colorado. The silt is both a valuable fertilizer in the fields and a menace in the ditches. Although the silts carried by the canals carry more fertility than is removed from the soil by cropping, the annual cost to the irrigation district is approximately half a million dollars. The Arizona experiment station has figured that the silt carried by the river would annually build a barrier sixty feet high over an area a mile square if deposited in one place. In addition to being valuable as a fertilizer this silt has prevented the rapid rise of water table so common in other sections, by filling up the soil pores and thus preventing too rapid penetration. The silt at the same time has made many of the harder clay soils more mellow by the deposit of sandy material on the soil surface. The plentiful supply of water in the river has not always been available during the late summer or early fall, on account of the lack of a proper diversion works in the river. Water is, of course, the life of the country, and large losses have occurred through diversion troubles. The fact that there is plenty of water in the river for use at any time during the year is a tremendous asset, as is fully realized. No experimental data existed to help the farmers of Imperial Valley in meeting the new problems which constantly arose. Farmers' institutes were held during the early days, and these meetings were well attended. This gave way to more local meetings in school-houses as occasion arose. These local meetings have grown into the Farm Bureau, which now has a membership of about seven hundred. In order to study the effects of local climatic conditions on crop growth and to secure reliable information regarding varieties best suited to the section, the State Legislature provided funds for the establishment of an agriculture experiment station farm of forty acres located at Meloland. This station is still in operation and is working on some of the fundamental problems of the region. Several reports have been printed as a result of the work carried on at the experiment farm covering variety trials, soils and irrigation work, insect control and cultural requirements. Imperial Valley was settled in a large part by those who did not have a large amount of capital. Most of the early settlers were dependent upon early returns from the land, or upon work furnished on neighboring farms or by the California Development Company. This fact, together with a lack of knowledge regarding crop adaptability, prevented a large planting of fruit, which required time before returns would be forthcoming. The Valley was therefore almost entirely devoted to grain and alfalfa. Barley and wheat were the winter crops and grain sorghums and alfalfa were the summer crops. Alfalfa was usually planted as soon as the land was properly .leveled, barley being grown on land as the first crop after leveling. The early farming methods were not the best. It was not uncommon for a farmer to broadcast barley on newly leveled land, disc it in and irrigate it up, harvest the crop and rely for three or four years on a volunteer crop by discing and irrigating in the fall without further planting. Results from these careless methods did not do justice to the agricultural possibilities of the Valley, but produced a profit on the small investment. An early attack of rust prevented the extension of the wheat acreage, so that barley was the main and practically the only winter crop grown during the early days. Barley was disced into the alfalfa during the fall and produced a good winter pasture at a time when the alfalfa grew slowly, besides making a valuable combination crop in the spring. This practice is still followed and with good results. The acreage in barley is diminishing as the acreage in other crops increases. Large areas of the harder soils are still devoted to barley. Barley is still a valuable crop on diversified ranches where a small lot is planted in the ordinary rotation to furnish grain or hay for the stock. The farm binder is becoming more common and the old time combine is gradually losing its place. As stated above, alfalfa usually followed barley as the second crop following leveling. Alfalfa is the foundation of Imperial Valley agriculture, for it not only is one of the universal crops, a crop which pays well, but is the basis of nearly all rotation schemes. Bermuda grass is perhaps its greatest enemy, but when plowed up every four or five years the Bermuda can be effectively controlled and the regular crop production maintained. Alfalfa is cut from five to nine times in Imperial Valley and produces from three to ten tons per acre per year. Taking good and bad land together, the average yield has been about four to four and a half tons per acre. The yields vary of course with the type and soil and the treatment given. The sandy loams have proven to be the best soil for alfalfa as for most other crops. In addition to the hay crop alfalfa furnishes a valuable winter pasture. Thousands of head of stock are brought in each winter to fatten on the hay stored up from summer cuttings. The winter pasture is usually sold in connection with the hay, the cattle feeding on the pasture and being fed hay at the same time. Most of the alfalfa in the Valley is pastured at some time of the year. On dairy and hog ranches the fields are pastured constantly, a system of rotation of field giving the alfalfa a time to recover between pasturings. During the early days alfalfa was planted in contour checks where the land was at all rough, but this has been changed so that nearly all of the fields are irrigated by the straight border method. The borders are usually forty to sixty feet wide and from an eighth to a half mile long. During the winter the alfalfa is watered infrequently, but during the growing period water is applied from one to three times a cutting. On hard soil two irrigations are usually required, while on sandy soil one irrigation will usually produce a crop. Grain sorghums have become established as the summer grain Top. Milo predominates, although some Egyptian corn, feterita and kaffir corn is raised. The grain sorghums furnish a satisfactory substitute for Indian corn and are easily and cheaply harvested and are therefore very satisfactory under Imperial conditions. Most of the grain sorghum is fed in the Valley, although some is shipped out to be sold as chicken feed. The stalks are usually pastured off by cattle, sheep or hogs. The stalks make a cheap feed for young growing stock. The grain sorghums are planted from April to the last of July. Spring planting will mature a crop in July, which allows for an additional volunteer crop. From half to two tons are secured per acre from the fall crop. The advisability of attempting to secure two crops in a season has not been universally accepted as good agriculture. Cotton is one of the later additions to the list of important crops in the Valley. Although cotton was planted experimentally as early as 1902, no commercial plantings were made until 1909, when three hundred acres were planted and a cotton gin established. Since that time the cotton acreage has increased rapidly. In 1910, 1400 acres were planted to cotton; in 1911, 14,000 acres; and in 1917 approximately 70,000 acres, producing 35,000 bales. Oil mills and cotton mills have been constructed to care for the crop. Cotton has been especially valuable on the Mexican side of the line on account of the favorable labor conditions where Chinese could be imported and where Mexican labor was available, and also because the cattle business which formally flourished in the delta region became rather hazardous on the account of the unsettled conditions of the country. A large number of varieties have been tried out and have proven satisfactory. Short cotton has always predominated in spite of a strong endeavor on the part of those interested in the future of the industry to establish a variety of superior quality. The admixture of seed resulting from the unregulated plantings of various varieties has resulted in a decided deterioration in the cotton grown. There is no cotton seed in the Valley in any quantity which is pure from the variety standpoint. Egyptian cotton is now receiving much favor on the part of many of the cotton growers on account of the high prices, the abnormal demand and because of the proven fact that Egyptian cotton will stand a water shortage with less damage than other varieties now grown in the Valley. The Durango cotton, which made a strong bid for supremacy, ranks second to the short cotton in importance at the present time. Cotton has proved to be a valuable addition to the crops in the Valley. It fits in well with the general crop rotation. The labor load comes during the late spring at the time of thinning and during the fall and winter at the time of picking. Some difficulty has been experienced in securing labor, but this difficulty has not proved so serious as at first anticipated. Cotton is well adapted to the small farm, and it is probable that the labor difficulty will be finally overcome by planting Egyptian cotton on small farms, where the labor of the family can be utilized in the harvest season. The early spring has, of course, developed an important truck industry. The development of the cantaloupe industry has been phenomenal. At present over five thousand cars are shipped from this Valley annually. These are shipped to all the important cities of the United States and have given the Valley considerable publicity. The early lettuce is just assuming proportions. Lettuce is shipped in iced crates as far as Boston. Winter cabbage, onions, asparagus and peas are shipped in car-load lots and are rapidly becoming a larger factor in the farming interests of the Valley. The agriculture of Imperial Valley is based on sound foundation. The live-stock industry, including dairy, depends upon alfalfa, corn and barley, and these crops will always remain as important crops. Cotton will no doubt survive with the present extension of Egyptian cotton, and early truck will continue to increase in volume on account of the distinct advantages in earliness. Additional Comments: Extracted from: THE HISTORY OF IMPERIAL COUNTY CALIFORNIA EDITED BY F. C. FARR IN ONE VOLUME ILLUSTRATED Published by ELMS AND FRANKS BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 1918 Printed by Taylor & Taylor, San Francisco File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/imperial/history/1918/historyo/agricult241nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 18.1 Kb