Arizona republican., 1922-04-09

With a large part OF the Salt River
valley lettuce crop already sold on
the eastern markets and the end Of
the season in sight, figures Of the
Produce Growers association reveal
that the 1921-1922 season has been
the most prosperous in the history OF
the valley.
Growers this year were favored By
ideal weather conditions and strong
market. They received from $40 to
SO a crate for lettuce, which is the
highest figure that this commodity
has netted the farmer since 1917.
Approximately 7s4 aces of lettuce
were cropped this season in the wall
ley, an increase of about $50 acres
over the previous year. Three hum
dred and twenty-five carloads will
be the valleys output when the last
Of the crop is cut, il Is approximated
by railroad and commission men. Up
to and including April there had
been exported I20 carloads of lettuce,
with more than 200 additional car
loads Of late lettuce in sight.
The lettuce growers this year have
produced series of phenomenaliy
heavy crops which have netted them
in many cases clear profit OF more
than $40o per acre. The gross re-
ceipts for the crop have ranged from
$500 to $1,000 per acre, from which
the costs of production must be de-
Quoted. The quality OF the product
this year has been uniformly OF a
high order. A large per cent OF the
heads weighed as much as from two
| to four pounds each Recent quota
lions from the eastern produce mar
kets showed Arizona head lettuce
selling at from $3.50 to 81 per crate.
Highest in East
Lettuce produced in the Salt River
valley this season has been unqlaii- :
| fiedly given first place In New YORK.
| The Imperial valley crop. which - of
a similar type to the local product,
was inferior to Salt River valley let
| tuce this year due TO a period OF
| freezing weather in California which
| injured the plants. Frosts also dam
! aged the crops in Florida, where the
| bulk of the lettuce crop was produced
before Arizona came TO the front.
IL was due to experiments in the
| Salt River valley that the center OF
| lettuce production in the United
States has been shifted from the
| Florida region to the irrigated dls-
| tricts OF the Southwest. Prior 70 lsla
| the consumption OF lettuce In this
country was very small, less than flVe
| cars Qdtiy BEAnS AAokA ASNN~A 49, -
| United States.
THE University of Arizona In 1914
| exDerimented with lettuce in the salt
| River valley and discovered that 8
superior grade could be successfully
| grown in this district. The United
Produce Growers association was
| formed at this time and In 1916 made
an active bid for supremacy in the
lettuce trade. The Arizona producl
was introduced into the east in l9ls
and was first exported in commercial
Quantities in 1916. The fasteners
| however. had never seen such iarge
| heads Of lettuce, and were ehary o.
buying il. They called the fine, large
| heads cabbage and did not at flrs'
realize its true worth.
Quality Is Proven
| Realizing that Arizona lettuce
would never be sold in large quaint
ties until its quality had been proven
| the Produce Growers association pc
gan a campaign of education In ths
| east and soon demonstrated that the
local product was far superior to thai
| grown in Florida. AS a result OF TINS
| campaign, lettuce began TO FIND favor
| All over the country and the eaily
| consumption Of the product rapidly
increased.
/ Today the United States consumes
| 80 times S much lettuce as 1t did
| five years ago. or average OF 200 car
loads every day during the growing
season. Lettuce has now become 9
staple and is popular In every nome
and is considered as much part ol
the daily fare as potatoes. Due "a
modern methods OF packing and ship
ping, lettuce is transported to the