Imperial Valley press., 1922-12-27
TO
/. BE NEXT FAMOUS
CROP OF VALLEY

The meeting held at the rooms of
the county horticultural commits
sioner last week, attended by about
80 persons, most of whom lived in
the immediate neighborhoOd of Ell
Centre, tended to show that there
are great many people interested
in a new money producing crop
which may be raised successfully i'll
the Imperial Valley.
The topic discussed during the
evening was that of profitable
strawberry raising, in which Prof.
Overholzer, of the University of
California, took the floor, and made
wonderfully intelligent and sim
p!ified talk covering the general
idea of strawberry raising, as relat-
ed to the industry in II parts of
California, with the exception of the
Imperial Valley, from which point,
the professor explained, no data had
been made available, as no expert
ments had been carried on in the
valley by the University, and grow
crs would, for the time being, have
to rely on such information as might
be had from experiences of growers
in the valley the last four or five
years.
Two Valley Experts Present
OF all present, there were only
two who had raised strawberries
in the valley on market scale,
while several had raised a few for
home consumption.
OF the two who had raised on a
market scale, japanese grower
stated that he had three acres, of
the Klondyke variety, with which
he had had great deal of success.
He stated that it was his belief that
what the gathering was most inter
ested in, was in the financial side
of the raising of berries, and in this
connection he stated that he had
three acres Of berries in the Brawley
district, from which, last season, he
had realized something over $4,000
net, statement which surprised his
hearers.
He told, also, of the methods used
by him in culture of berries, stating
that he used the ridge method, set
ting the center of his ridges high,
in that such alkali or salts as would
raise by evaporation, would carry
the salts to the high part of the
ridge, leaving his plants below the
salt line, and yet above the water
line. He stated that, on this
method, it would cost from 5000 to
>$400 to set out an acre of berries,
and to care for them until the first
crop was taken off.
Names Best Varieties
~ William Won Mueller, of Calexico,
who has been carrying on expert
ments in Imperial Valley with
strawberries for the last five years,
in which varieties, methods of cul-
ture, shading and mulching of plant
in the summer season, and other
valuable information has been
sought as applying to the industry
in the valley, explained the varieties
which he had found the most pro-
fitable in the valley. OF these vari-
cites, he stated that the Ettersburg
l21 proved the most profitable by
far, but that they were rather ex-
pensive for the average grover to
plant, as it would cost at least $500
per acre to set them out, but that
from three-qnarters to two baskets
per plant was tho yield for the first
season, four months after planting
time.
The Sugar Loafs, even more ex-
pensive to set out, were their equal.
The Carolinas were the quickest pro-
ducing of the lot, and drop yield
from 10000 plants set to the acre
would average from $500 to 500
per acre the first season, plants
bearing fruit in from 10 to IA weeks
after setting out. Following these
came the Progressive Everbearer,
which would set blossoms within q
month after planting, and would
yield profitable crop in the first
season, but the berries are smaller.
Klondykes Are Recommended
Klondykes, he stated, are a hardy
plant, good yielder, and profit
able crop, but would not bear pro-
fitably the first year unless set
about 10000 to the acre.
Others spoke, telling of their OBJ
scrvations, some admitting that