Imperial Valley press., 1933-01-26
w. w. WEETH, Superintendent
University of California Imperial
Valley Experiment Station

Valley Experiment Station
Flax is progressing as rapidly In
Imperial Valley as can be expected
for a new enterprise. We look for
it to advance much more rapidly in
the next two or three years than
/ it has up until now. Experimental
work has been carried on for about
IL years at the Neloland station
on the culture of flax. It has de-
/ finitely been proven that Imperial
/ Valley can become the highest flax
seed producing area per acre of
any place in the United States.
The highest yield we have a rec
ord of is 48 bushels per acre pro-
duced in - inch cultivated rows at
the Montana experiment station.
Last year the Meloland station
secured an average yield of A z
bushels per acre under practical
field conditions, and one of the
yields cut made 81 bushels. This
years crop at present appears to be
much better than the one produc-
ed last year. For those who are
skeptical about experiment station
yields or think they are false bub-
bleS we are happy to state that the
Timken ranch south of Meloland
has some flax in this year which
is equally as good as that at the
experiment station.
There are over 800 acres of flax
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The growers are Fred Gunterman
and McGaw who have over 100
acres at the Timken ranch south
of Meloland; George Harris who
has 100 acres on the Hevner ranch
one half mile west of the ten foot
drop; T. M. Montgomery who has
160 acres south of Calipatria. All
of these paintings look exceptional
ly good and a high yield can be ex-
pected.
The flax on the Timken ranch
will probably break all previous
records. Judging from the compar-
ison of the flax now growing at
the Timken ranch and the heavy
crop produced at the experiment
station last year we will predict
that this planting will make an
average yield of 40 bushels plus.
Some will run well over so bushels
pes acre.
The average yield for the past
10 years of the northern flax grow
ing states is 73 bushels per acre.
The average price paid to farmers
for flax seed for the past 10 years
is S2.14 per bushel.
Flax is probably the most beauti-
full crop when in bloom of any of
the cultivated field crops. 1t could
only be surpassed by a field of
wild California golden poppieS. That
depends on your individual taste
for color. The flax blossom is an
open flower about the size of a
quarter and is a pale blue color.
All of the fields in the valley will
be in bloom in about three weeks
possibly a little longer. The most
prolific blooming occurs between
$3.50 and 11:30 a. m. On Friday
days the flowers open later and re-
main open longer.
Former Crops Failed
Flax has been attempted in the
valley many times and with always
the same results, failure. Now that
we have most of the essential facts
worked out it is easy to see why
so many failures and no hits.
We have worked with many var
ieties and have planted once each
month for five different months.
Just recently we have found 1t is
necessary to use different rate of
seeding for practically every yari-
ETY. due to the size of seed and ma
ture of growth. Some varieties
have only $4,000 seed to the pound
while others have $4,000. Some
varieties branch out while others
grow erect. These two factors
alone play great part in deter
mining your seeding rate. Date of
planting plays another strong part.
When all factors concerned are TAX.
en- into account good farmer has
about one chance in $50 of guess
ing the right combination to use.
For instance if you have 10 va
rites and you use five different
rates of seeding and five different
dates of planting for each variety
this would require $50 plots. If
you use irrigation trials the prob
lem would expand some more. Very
few farmers will go to this trouble,
probably accurate records wouldn't
be kept due to the necessity of look
ing after other crops which he is
depending on for his living. OF
course an experiment station sim
plifies these tests by using rod row
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