Imperial Valley press., 1939-12-31

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of Agriculture and the FEEDER
Never before in the history of the
valley did the quality remain as uni
formly excellent throughout the
season, and an average yield of 200
crates per acre was believed to be
the largest on record.
Growing conditions were generally
favorable all during the season.
Temperatures were relatively cool
with minimum temperatures not
sufficiently low to result in crop
damage. More than the usual
amount of rainfall during the early
part of the season may have been
an important factor III bringing
about the heavy yields and appar-
emily did little damage to the crop
although possibly responsible to
some extent for the early shipments
arriving with the butts showing
considerably red.
First Car Late
, The first car was shipped on Dec
cmber l3, a week later than in the
previous season. Shipments were
light, however, until after New
Years. A few of the very earlist
cars sold at high prices but heavy
movement from the Phoenix dis
trict of Arizona during the latter
| part of December depressed the
market.
During the last week in December
while Imperial Valley shipments
were still only Is to 25 cars daily,
the price at shipping point ranged
mostly $1.35-1.50 per crate of 5-do-
zen size. From this point is con-
tnued to decline gradually during
January until by the end of the
month sales were being made as
'ow as $l,0o per crate.
Curtailed Shipments
In an effort to improve conditions,
growers and shippers of the Imperial
Valley and of the Yuma district of
Arizona agreed that after February
l no fields be harvested during the
remainder of the month until one
thlro of the rows had been plowed
under or otherwise set aside to
be left unharvested. Demand i'm
mediately improved and within a
few days the price had advanced to
SITS per 5-dozen crate and
held at that figure until the middle
| of February. Wholesale prices in
he terminal markets, haWever, failed
to advance to the same extent that
shipping point prices had and when
loading held at higher level than
had been anticipated, demand Slack
ened and the price declined to mostly
Sl.z5-750 per crate, at which it
hello until February 25.
Cold Weather
In the meatime. cold weather in
the Phoenix district of Arizona all
curing February had retarded the
development of the spring crop in
that district, and in the belief that
a period of light shipments was in
prospect, strong buying wave be-
gar on February 25. Shipments of
209 cars on that day, including 1872
from the Imperial Valley, failed to
affect demand, and on March
ard 2 when it became possible to
harvest from fields without first
destroying one-third of the crop,
demand far exceeded the supply in
spite of the fact that Imperial VAL
Icy shipments on both those days
WCtc heavier than on any other
single day since 1884
BY March 7, prices had advanced
to $2.5O-2.75 per 5-dozen crate.
Again, however, wholesale prices
IL The terminals failed to keep pace
With the advance at shipping point
aud when it became apparent that
the anticipated light shipments
would not materlalize. demand fell
Off and the price declined rs rapidly
as 1t had advanced, BY this time the
Imperial Valley season was nearing
its close with the Yuma district of
Arizona nearing its peak and Phoe-
nix district just getting under way.
Sd,555,OOO Crop
The total value of the 1889 crop,
as estimated by the Federal-State
Crop Reporting Service, was $4,-
555 900, based on an average value of
S135 per crate and a harvested pro-
duction of 100000 crates. 1t was
estimated that 100000 crates we're
destroyed or left unharvested be-
cause of the restrictions which were
in effect during the month of Feb
ruary, making total production of
100000 4 crates.
The estimated yield of 200 crates
per acre far exceeded that of any
previous season and compares with
an average of 1913 crates per acre
during the ten-year period 1928
1887 Acreage of 21,0OO was Slight
reduction from the 2l,8OO of the
previous season but was much less
thai the 1928-1937 average of 28,-