Imperial Valley press., 1913-01-06

SaQle Ease IN Los Angeles MluWln-
ter Times: Imperial county, the young
est in California, is developing so rap
idly from a desert to a garden that it
is the wonder county OF the whole
west. Twelve years ago it was gray,
barren desert, producing nothing. Last
year upwards of $4,000, 900 in wealth
was yielded from the soil. The list
Of items making up this substantial
total is long. one, including alfalfa
grain, hay, dairy products, cotton, can't
aloupes, grapes, honey, early fruits
and vegetables, horses, cattle, hogs,
sheep, turkeys and chickens. The re-
turns the preceding year were S5,000,-
600 in round numbers, or a gain Of
100 per cent in t2 months.
With the magic combination of am
pie, cheap water, rich soil, and ardent
sunshine i2 months in the year, crop
returns are certain, and it has the
longest growing season in the United
! States. Every month some crop is
ripening and convertible into dollars.
These dollars are put back into i'm
provements, and the work Of develop
ment is pushed forward.
| In the Imperial valley a great in
land empire is in the making, and the
rapidity with which this process is
| going on is one Of the marvels o.
southern California development. The
hard, pioneering days are passing. The
strenuous part of the fight to conquer
| The desert has been waged and won.
| Now the prosperous farmer uses q
nigh powered automobile instead Of
| faithful old Dobbin. He breaks his soil
with giant traction plow, his mail is
delivered by rural carrier, and he en-
joys telephone facilities and many other
| modern conveniences.
The year 1912 was the most SUI.
cessful since the Colorado river was
brought to the valley for its reclama-
| ton. Good crops and good prices have
| made money more plentiful than ever
before, as every banker in the valley
! testifles An active tree planting cam
paign is on, and every nursery IN til,
valley reports that the past year has
been the busiest ever known. In round
| numbers, 2iS, 900 acres are under cul-
| tivaton. Barley was raised on ii6. .0Gt
acres. The crop was uniformly heavy
and top prices prevailed, both for grain
and hay, which were shipped out in
trainloads. The average yield Of grair
per acre is about 1000 pounds.
The alfalfa area Of the county ap-
proximated $4,000 acres last spring
Hay sold at a high figure, and many
ranchers secured eight cuttings in thC
YEAR During the summer an addi-
| liOnal 10000 acres were seeded, anC
| The alfalfa fields Of the county now
| cover 400 square miles. In the Older
| section, one can drive in a machine
for a day without being for a moment
| out Of sight Of the rich green alfalfa
| fields.
The creameries OF the valley report
a combined output OF 10000 pounds
Of butter day, the greater part oi
which is shipped to Los Angeles.
daily income Of $4,000 from butter
alone is not an unimportant factor II
| the general prosperity. With an out
| put Of more than 100000 pounds
Of butter in the past year, Imperia
county now occupies first place among
the butter producing counties Of the
| state.
! A million cantaloupes a day We're
| shipped during the busy season in June
and July, raised on $500 acres. Tn
| cantaloupe crop touched the 5000
carload mark, and the season was the
| most successful one the growers OF
the valley have known. The distribut-
| ing problem was handled better thar
ever before and the cantaI0upc grow
ers received a good profit. estimated a.
! 81 100000. and the gross value Of the
crop was in round numbers S3.0OO.O0O
Watermelon shipments for the year
| amounted to 250 carloads.