Imperial Valley press., 1922-01-21
LESS new ALFALFA
ACREAGE FOR
THE YEAR
Organized Marketing viii Pro
duce Better Prices Says
GrOHerS' association

market letter of the Growers aSSo
: citation, did not show the material in
crease expected as a result of the i'm
! proved weather and shipping condi
tions; on the contrary, receipts con
tinued almost as light as during tn,
. rains, which means that they weri
again materially below requirements
for current consumption, thus further
reducing reserve supplies of buyers
The explanation probably is that il
some of the producing and shipping
sections conditions are still unfavor.
able for baling or hauling, but the
principal reason would seem to be
that the stocks remaining in growers
hands are now very light in the ag-
gregate; this has greatly reduced the
number of shippers and is therefore
making the movement irregular; it
will probably continue so during the
balance Of the old crop year.
! The demand is also apt to be irreg-
ular during that time, as most buy
ers seem to be even less inclined than
before to return to the practice of
always carrying some reserve sup
plies, enabling them to buy accord
ing to their average reuiqrements.
Instead Of this, most of them now, buy
in fits and starts, usually waiting un-
til immediate needs compel them to
do so, and then in most cases paying
stiff premium for spot lots over
what they could have bought for ship
ment.
Business during the week was light,
being mostly confined to that in spot
lots; country offerings, which had
been extremely light since the begin
ming of the rains, showed a moderate
increase this past week, but as the
prices asked We're in most cases con-
higher than before the rains,
buyers were not disposed to meet
them and the resulting business was
therefore small.
AS far as we can judge at this
time, we are afraid that there will be
less new alfalfa planted in the state
this year than is being plowed up; the
effect of this would be a decrease in
the production of marketing tonnage
rI NJ Sha
the demand for marketing hay; sec
tions which had been shipping out al
falfa would thereafter ship it in,
continuation of the change which has
already been taking place during re-
cent years in formerly important pro-
ducing sections of the San Joaquin
Valley and others.
Normally We should have yearly
increase in the alfalfa acreage, for
marketing as we'll as direct feeding,
in order to keep step with the in
crease in population, especially that
of the cities, and with the resulting
increase in the demand for milk,
cream and other dairy products. 1t
would therefore be very unfortunate
if the production of alfalfa were to
be reduced instead of increased.
We wish we could encourage our
growers by telling them that the re-
duction of the alfalfa acreage would
benefit those who stay in the game,
but we doubt very much that this VIII
be the case under present general
conditions, because the price Of alfal-
ia is to large extent determined by
the other feeding stuffs and cannot
90 far out of line with them for any
great length Of time. For that mat
ter, we know from long experience
that regardless of whether the pro-
duction was large or small, the
market for alfalfa was formerly
down every year to an unprofitable
TO Develop Rice Here
Experts from the State University
will come to Imperial Valley, January
81, to discuss with representatives OF
various business and civic organiza-
tions the advisability of developing
the rice industry in Imperial county
The toard of Director of the farm bu'
reau, directors or the irrigation dis
trict, president of the Bankers asso E
citation and presidents of chambers o.!
commerce are expected to attend the
conference. The following gentlemen
will attend from university: Adams in
charge irrigation Investigations and
irrigation practice of the University
Of Califoria; Prof. J. w. Gilmore;
Prof. w. w. Mackie, of the division
of Agronomy; Prof. Walter w. Weir,
drainage specialist of the division OF
soil technology: Dr. G.. n. Harinp. d.