Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-21
VAST EMPIRE is
IMPERIAL VALLEY
PRESIDENT R00SEvELT'S PRE-
DICTl0N
BIG FORTUNES FOR MEN OF
SMALL CAPITAL
Entire Valley VIII Fill Up Rapidly
and It's Production VIII Be
mendous-Flourlsh-
Ing Times

President Roosevelt has made the pre-
diction that the land in the great Inn
perial valley of the state of California
will soon be worth $1,000 to $500 an acre
and that population of more than a
million people may be supported IN
more than comfort by the developed
agricultural resources of the region.
The Imperial valley has been desig-
mated as "another Egypt" wonder
land of varied products" and IAN ems
pire OF vast possibilities" The roughly
estimated area of the basin of the
valley below the sea level is $500 square
miles, embracing 100000 acres, of
which more than one-half will be irri-
gated by the waters of the Colorado
river.
The soil of this vast basin Is fine silt,
deposited under water during the many
periods of the Colorado rivers inva-
sion, and there is for all practical pur-
poses no limit to its depth. The basin
is great bowl filled with earth as fer
tile as the soil of the Nile delta. It's
richness is inexhaustible, and every
drop of water coming to 1t from the
river helps to restore the elements
taken from its surface by the growth
of plants and the harvesting Of crops.
The origin of the deposits, the char
acter of the material dropped by the
river and the warm climate account for
the amazing rapidity and .vigor of plant
growth in Imperial valley and the ex-
traordinary fecundity of all vegetation.
Where floods have cut away bottom
lands and then receded because Of
changes in the Colorado's course, leav-
ing bare flats of silt, cottonwoods have
sprung up and attained a height of
twenty-five feet and a diameter of four
to six inches at the butt In two years.
At three years cottonwoods have grown
to q height of more than forty feet.
Fruit trees. vines and plants of all
kinds flourish similarly. the climatic
conditions favoring continuous growth.
When one crop is harvested another
may be planted on the same land and
IT, ,re need be no intervening pcriod of
non-use. The land does double duty,
without exhaustion.
Source of Water Supply
Water for irrigation and domestic
Luse is taken from the Colorado river a
few miles from the point of delivery to
the canal system. The supply is virtu-
ally inexhaustible and It is absolutely
reliable, the flood period of the stream
occurring in midsummer, the time OF
greatest use
The annual cost of water is depen-
dent on the amount used. 1t is believed
that the allowance of enough water to
cover each acre four feet deep Is far in
excess of requirement. This has been
proved in many cases, II being shown
that continued cultivation of the land
reduces the amount of water necessary
to the crops. The rancher's contract for
water is with his Mutual Water COM
pany. The cost is so cents per foot.
plus the cost of distribution through
the Mutual Water company. This last
cost is fixed by the ranchers them
selves. s
The valley is an agricultural and
fruit growing section OF tremendous
value, and sett1ers are pouring in by
the thousands, acquiring land and pre-
pairing for active development on the
line of work accomplished by the
pioneers. Dairy stock, sheep, horses
and grain and hay growing interests
are Of great value. Several crops of
alfalfa are harvested every season and
there Is forage in abundance for stock
and poultry. The finest melons come
from the Imperial valley.
New Dixie Land
Cotton has been successfully grown in
the valley. Ira Alten has been the
pioneer in this enterprise. He believes
that he can produce an average yield
of cotton of three bales to the acre.
There are many and splendid oppor-
tunities In the Imperial valley for a
man without capital, and for the man
with even a small amount of means
there is a very bright future before
him. Land can be purchased now COM
paratively cheap. and, acreage can be
leased on reasonable terms. There Is
more land in the valley than there are
men to work 1t. Any man can rent
land, raise cantaloupes, grapes or gar
den produce and make enough money
from his first crop to pay his rent and
expenses and then have enough left
over to make substantial payment on
the purchase of tract OF land of his
own. This has been done already by
many men and will be done again next
spring. Land which is selling at 500 or
si50 an acre and which will produce,
by careful handling, twice or three
times as much in a single crop, surely
offers an opportunity to the man with
out capital to get substantial start
toward competence in very short
time.
Brawley. Imperial. Holtville, FL
Centre and Calexico are among the
~aks