The Imperial press., 1905-09-30
For An Experiment Station

imperial valley has made good" on every proposition that it has ever had
 to face, and it has been done single
 handed and without promotion or help
 from any public source The pioneer farmers took up the work of redeeming this Valley in the face of the most dis couraging advice and pessimisti" reports from the government soil experts By their perseverance, and loyalty to their work they have demonstrated that there was something the soil experts didn't know. They have shown that Cobra do river water and Imperial Valley brains will make crops grow, where the rules of the book say the seeds won't germinate. Our farmers have done a great work ln overturning the set formu- ulas of the doctrinaifes and proving that there IS more in irrigation and culture than had been supposed by the bookish attaches of the soil survey. But there Is very great work the sgovernment can do i'll this Valley and one that will benefit pot only the people of this Val ley, but those of every arid state and all the west where similar soil and climatic conditions obtain. And that is to es- tablish all Agricultural Experiment Station. Congress appropriates money literally for the use of the State. Agri- cultural Colleges in this work aid we learn that there was an extra appro- priation given to California during the present year of S30, ,000 for this purpose. There is nowhere else in the arid west where such typically desert conditions are present and in no other region is so large or so successful an irrigation work being done. Here all the uusolyed problems of arid region agriculture and horticulture are present and ready for determination. What we need is experiment station that can take up and test all the different plants, grains, fruits and economic trees that have been found by our agricultural ex-
 
 the climate and soil is similar to ours ard which promise to be successful here. They should also conduct irrigation in- vestigations and look into the matter of drainage. Such station would be highly appreciated by our people and they would be glad to cooperate with the government officials in the matter of establishing it and in it's work after il was established. We are certain that a tract of land and free water could be secured for the site of the experiment farm and all the government would be asked to do would be to put up the build 1 IngS and maintain the work. The man to confer with regarding this matter is Professor E. J. Wickson, Director of the ] Experiment Station, Berk- 1 eley, California, and We suggest that the Chamber of Commerce take this matter up with him at once. Professor 1 was here with the Irrigation 1 on June 10th and got some l idea of our country then and We have l reason to believe he will be willing to listen to our claims and will do what he 1 can for us in this matter. The fact that 1 funds are available with which this work can be done makes the present a very Opportune time to urge the matter i The value of such station to our peo- pie and Valley would be very great. Just think what it would be to have the 1 government reporting on our early grapes. our cantaloupes, our immense ;rops of alfalfa and money making crops Df alfalfa seed. Also our hogs and cat ,le, as well as the dozens of valuable plants they would introduce and adapt o our Valleys production. Let an. or- ,anized effort be made to secure the Ex- oeriment Station. There is plenty of money to support it and Imperial Val ey is the proper place for it. The gov should do all they can to pro- note our welfare now to even up mat CTS for the "knocks" they have given IS in the past.
 W. V. Hardy, the United States Hy- jrOpra nher is havino little lose strop.