Imperial Valley press., 1917-05-15
NMURA KNOWN AS
VALLEY LETTUCE KING

ICoNTINITED FROM PAGB ONEl
and no doubt will have to be enlarged
considerably before another season.
During the coming fall and winter
Mr.. kimura says that he expects to
ship 1900 or possibly 1000 cars of
Imperial Valleys finest lettuce, cab
oage, tomatoes, green onions, spinach.
beets, carrots, turnips, strawberries.
etc.
A trip throughout the ranch con-
yinced the reporter that Mr.. Kimura
has very fertile piece Of land. The
lain big ditch of the Imperial South
side Water Company goes through
he ranch, assuring all of the water
necessary. Soil conditions seem to
be perfect. The fact that a large
9ortion of this ranch has been in al
alfa for several years makes It eS
2ecially desirable for vegetables and
antaloupes. Mr.. kimura says he
will have 500 acres of lettuce, a por-
lion of which will be ready for the
Christmas market. The success of the
Imperial Valley lettuce during tho
season just closed is well known to
he trade. Buyers from all over the
United States came to the Valley and
paid high prices for all they could
get. So far as is known, there was
not car shipped but what was spot
ash f. o. b. shipping point.
A strong demand for food products
md the checking up of present sup
les and future crops for the conser-
J;.tion of foods has started move
nent for the contracting Of acreage
md supplies for the coming season.
Ibis fact, considering that the pres
mt seasons crops are not all harvest
9d, indicates that dealers and job
,ers throughout the United State
md California shippers are playing
he part of the early bird Many
ontracts have already been made
For this reason Humphrey j. Cough
in made the statement during the
.eek that according to indications the
ntire products of the 1,100 acres fer
he coming holiday and after-holiday
market would be entirely contracted
within the next three weeks. During
ne day the reporter was on the ranch
/ representative of large house IN
9ittsburg arranged for the exclusive
.arketing of 100 acres.
Mr.. Kimura is one of the highly
educated and most influential Japa-
lese tradesmen in Southern Califor-
ia. He is president of the Japanese
federation of Farmers, an organlza-
ion composed of y local associations
throughout Southern California. He
as had wide experience in raising
)roducts of the ground and has been
the southern part of this state for
many years. He owns one of the
pest vineyards. in the vicinity OF Ell
vanda. San Bernardino county; IN
TACT, he has planted and developed
more than 1900 acres of vineyard. y
CIV years ago he bought land at 81
an acre which today carries annually
,ome of the best grape crops in the
southern part of the state and is val
led at $500 to 800 per acre.
Mr.. Kimura has system cf his
own established on the Rranch ci the
Golden Smile. There are ten we'll
trained experienced foremen, each OF
which has a particular plot of grCund
20 look after and to be responsible
or. This ranch is organized on a
BUSINESS basis and everything moves
Ike clockwork. Mrs. Kimura has
yroven herself a thorough bus ress
roman and when her husband is ab-
sent assumes entire charge Of the
inch. Here there is every ''earT3ark
f big business" When all Of the
land IS fully developed thefe Will DC
IN annual income Of close to $2eJ,OOO.
Humphrey J. Cougnlin, the sales
manager is we'll known by the trade
having been shipper Of Southern
CALIFORNIA; products for several
years. Later on he will spend muco
Of his time at the rarch to see tina:
only the best quality, pack and grade
is sent into the refrigerator ears. Nr
and Mrs. Kimura, NJ. Coughlin and
I'll of the ten forcmel who share n
the profits, have determined to make
the products Of the Ranch Of the Col
den Smile the highest standard in the
Valley, and already a vast amount ot
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