Imperial Valley press., 1918-12-21

Castor Beans .............. sou
Lettuce 2,546
tation of being the 'greenst spot in
the great southwest" The excellent
prices received for livestock this year
greatly increased feeding and the in
dustry may be said to be returning
into its own as one in which much
There We're many other crops OF
small acreage but of considerable
vale to the growers, including early
vegetables, sorghum and fruits, which
helped to run the total market price of
production up to a figure one and one
half times the assessed valuation OF
property as returned by the county
assessor. The assessed valuation tor
1g1S-19 is S35 ,S59, OPS.
Butter production dropped off this
year, although an average price OF
55 cents a pound was maintained.
The value of the butter crop was
about SO 100000.
The Importance of conserving stock
feed has been so strongly brought
home to the Imperial county farmers
that in the last II months the number
of silos has increased from 80 to 25O,
with more under construction.
Liberty wheat was called for by the
government. Last season Imperial
county had bare 1000 acre field OF
wheat. AS the result of campaigning
on the part of the farm bureau I'M
perial county farmers planted more
than II 600 acres. showing an aver
age Weld of "a bushels, which brought
around S207 a bushel here.
This was a milo maize year for this
county. Early estimates of contem-
plated milo planting showed posi-
BILE acreage of 165 900, but due to a
temporary labor shortage in July and
August, together with other causes,
the total was greatly decreased. This
years crop of milo is considered a
startling demonstration of what can
be grown in Imperial valley. Many
farmers report a yield of two tons OF
grain to the acre while it Is believed
the average WELD is one ton. Forty
five dollars a ton is not exactly the
price expected by the farmers when
the milo was planted, but those who
keeping their eyes on the market are
predicting a stronger figure before
the winter passes.
More than 100000 pounds of I'M |
perial honey, selling at an average
price of 20 cents a pound, brought
the so apiarists 100000. Eighteen
months ago cents a pound was con-
sidered fair.
Net nrofts to growers of canta-
loupes totalled So 100000, as the mar
ket in the east was the best yet rec.
orded. Encouraged by the returns OF
last season growers are expecting
an equal crop for 1919, with profits
in the same proportion.
One hundred thousand dollars
worth of Imperial valley watermelons
were shipped to outside markets IN
1S7 cars. Early grapes, 164 carloads
of them, rolled to eastern markets
before the crops from other districts
ripened They brought $50 to $40 a
ton to Imperial valley.
Imperial county supervisors took
deep interest in the farm labor prob
lem, employing an agent to devote his
entire time to the work of obtaining
sufficient laborers to harvest the big
war crops. In August the valley faced
g serious shortage, surveys of the
situation all over the country indlcat-
ing that because of the selective draft
and the attractive wages paid in ship
yards and munition plants, the actlvl-
ties of the county agent, assisted ma
teriallv by other officials and lead
ing farmers locally and in co-opera-
tion with the Federal and state EN-
ployment services, the threatened
shortage was relieved to a surprising
extent. The present month records
a surplus of various sorts of farm
labor and tentative figures show that
fully ! 900 lahorers have been drawn