Imperial County CA Archives History - Books .....Some Of The Results 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 14, 2006, 3:29 am Book Title: History Of Imperial County California SOME OF THE RESULTS According to a report made in 1913, there were then about 250,000 reclaimed acres under cultivation in this Imperial Valley. The soil seemed well adapted to the growth of practically every crop that was grown in the United States, with very few exceptions, such as some of the deciduous fruits, which required a period of frost and snow which are never known in this Valley. A leading crop of late has been the alfalfa plant, which can be cut from six to nine times each year with an average of one ton to each cutting. It can also be used for forage part of the year and cut later for fodder. It remains green all through the year, although in December and January the cool nights retards the growth. And yet alfalfa is still considered one of the greatest wealth producers in the Valley. As a producer of beef, pork and mutton, it is without an equal. Farmers are reaping enormous profits from their alfalfa fields. In three years a plot of ground rented for some $500 attained a value of $16,000. Good alfalfa land is now worth about $175 per acre and rents for about $15 an acre per year. Among the newer crops, however, in this region is cotton, which is being very successfully grown, and yields a bale per acre. Already there are many cotton gins in operation, and at El Centro and Calexico there are cottonseed-oil mills, which, after extracting the oil, grind the seed into meal. The different varieties of corn do well here, and often two crops are secured in a season, except from the Indian corn. The first crop can be cut down and another crop grown without replanting. Barley is also a sure crop and yields from 18 to 35 sacks per acre. Used as hay for fodder, it yields from two to four tons an acre. Livestock of all kinds is extensively raised throughout the entire Valley. And it is said that here the yearlings attain the size and growth of the two-year-old in any other part of the stock-growing sections of the country. This is attributed to the continuous feed of green fodder and the escape of the rigors of winter. Many large cattle companies are already established here. Another most attractive and profitable product in this Valley is the cantaloupe. A leading center of this growing industry is Brawley. Nearly 3000 carloads of this delicious table dessert are annually shipped from this point, and the returns are from $100 to $300 per acre. This product is now being rapidly increased, a larger acreage being devoted to its culture. Oranges and lemons have not been a commercial success, but grapefruit is grown most successfully. The apricot is another very valuable fruit product here, yielding from $500 to S750 per acre in favorable seasons under proper culture. Large returns from the growth of asparagus are also reported. It is shipped in carload lots to New York and Chicago in February and March. One rancher cleared $10,000 from this vegetable alone in 1912, from 45 acres of land. After the shipping season closes it is canned for market. Dates are also a very profitable crop, often yielding 300 pounds per tree, worth from fifty cents to one dollar a pound. Table grapes are also doing well in the Valley, and there are several large vineyards. Muscats, Malagas, Thompson's Seedless and a few Persian sorts are usually grown. They ripen late in June and are thus off the market when other sections begin to ship, thus securing the top price. Such is merely a brief summary of a few of the products of this marvelous Valley where the land valuations have increased from nothing in 1900 to $14,000,000 in 1912, and $20,000,000 to $40,000,000 now. Since 1912, however, the construction of the new High Line Canal east of the Alamo River has added some 125,000 acres for cultivation. This extends from the Mexican boundary to the Southern Pacific main line tracks. Much of this was part of the government grant to this company. It is therefore apparent that the water supply in this vast area is inexhaustible, and it is furnished to the farmers at very low cost. It further appears that the soil of this Valley is the richest and most fertile to be found in the American Union today. In the east it is very common to denounce the prevalent practice in financial circles of "watering stocks"—watering stocks of companies, corporations and securities of every name and nature. The practice has resulted in loss or ruin to millions of victims all over the land. All manner of legal restrictions have been resorted to by legislatures to prevent such frauds. But on the whole success has been very scant and indifferent at best. But here in this great Imperial Valley of California water has really done the whole trick and proved the salvation of thousands. We call it "irrigation" here, as it might also be termed in the east. But in this Valley it has completely transformed a vast desert waste of only a few years ago into a glorious garden of fertility and production where thousands of people are now dwelling in comfort and prosperity. And the end is not yet in sight. 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/someofre205nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 5.9 Kb