Imperial Valley press., 1935-12-12
SURPRISING INFORMATION
TO IMPERIAL, YUMA VALLEYS

Residents of Imperial and Yuma val
leys were surprised, not to say shocked,
recently when they found out several
things about themselves and their lands
that they had not even suspected. C. S.
oeotleld, who is principal agriculturist
IN charge of the division of western irri-
cation, United States department of agri-
culture, conveyed the shocked surprise
by means of his report on soil under the
proposed Yuma-Gila reclamation project
The report, just by way of a sidelight,
swallowed the East Mesa of Imperial
Valley in one large gulp.
My mature View," said Scofield lis
that for the federal government to place
its stamp of approval on these two prof.
ects by financing their development and
encouraging settlers to colonize them
would be most unfortunate"
One wonders if Mr.. Scofield's view is
not so mature it has lost its hair, drop
ped its teeth and failed in its eyesight
''The only basis we have for Judging
the agricultural potentialities of these
two tracts is to be found in the develop
ments which have taken place on the
Yuma Mesa during the last 40 years."
Scofield declares, continuing later: "Up
to the present time, the only crop which
has been at all successful is grapefruit.
The failures experienced with other crops
appear to have been due to the inherent
unproductiveness of the SOIL -
Then, feeling perhaps that his report
needed strengthening, Scofield added
this:
'It should be recognized that the
areas are subjected to severe drying
winds, particularly in the spring months,
and that the summer temperatures are
high. Living conditions during the sum-
mer months are extremely trying, and
there must be very promising crop re-
turns if high class settlers are to be at
tracted to the lands"
While one is wondering, one might as
we'll wonder if Mr.. Scofield ever hung
his undershirt in those severe drying
winds" with the hope that it would flap
on the breeze. The only severe winds
those areas ever get come from such re-
ports as that of agriculturist. Also, it
would appear that high class settlers do
not like the country. What does that
make of us?
The most serious indictment of Yuma
and East Mesa lands, however, is the one
most at fault. %. the only crop whicn
has been at all successful is grapefruit"
The lettuce growers of Imperial Valley,
then, need have no interest after this in
the Yuma crop? Also, can it be that the
present agricultural area of Imperial
Valley can hope in the future to ship a
lot of its alfalfa to Yuma, so the cows
there will not die of starvation? And
the cotton mills of the nation will not be
bothered, in the future, by cotton from
fields near YUMA In fact, there is very
little excuse for Yuma's existence, it is
inferred by Scofield's report, except to
hold up the eastern end of the bridge
across the Colorado river.
All along, poor deluded mortals living
along or near the Colorado have thought
that the only drawback in the way of eX-
tensive agriculture in the Yuma valley,
not to mention the East Mesa, was the
lack of irrigation Now we find out that
agriculture is practically impossible
therei
Perhaps Mr.. Scofield knows what he
is talking about. Just by way of check
ing him up, however, and giving a report
based on more than casual knowledge
and unfounded rumor, it might be a
worthwhile idea to follow out the rec
concentrations of the Imperial Irrigation
District board of directors and the coun-
ty board of supervisors by establishing
experiment stations on the land in ques-
ton.