USA > California > Imperial County > The history of Imperial County, California > Part 19
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During the early days alfalfa was planted in contour checks where the land was at all rough, but this has been changed so that nearly all of the fields are irrigated by the straight border method. The borders are usually forty to sixty feet wide and from an eighth to a half mile long. During the winter the alfalfa is watered infrequently, but during the growing period water is applied from one to three times a cutting. On hard soil two irrigations are usually required, while on sandy soil one irrigation will usually produce a crop.
Grain sorghums have become established as the summer grain crop. Milo predominates, although some Egyptian corn, feterita and kaffir corn is raised. The grain sorghums furnish a satisfactory substitute for Indian corn and are easily and cheaply harvested and are therefore very satisfactory under Imperial conditions. Most of the grain sorghum is fed in the Valley, although some is shipped out to be sold as chicken feed. The stalks are usually pastured off by cattle, sheep or hogs. The stalks make a cheap feed for young growing stock.
The grain sorghums are planted from April to the last of July. Spring planting will mature a crop in July, which allows for an additional vol- unteer crop. From half to two tons are secured per acre from the fall crop. The advisability of attempting to secure two crops in a season has not been universally accepted as good agriculture.
Cotton is one of the later additions to the list of important crops in the Valley. Although cotton was planted experimentally as early as 1902, no commercial plantings were made until 1909, when three hun- dred acres were planted and a cotton gin established. Since that time the cotton acreage has increased rapidly. In 1910, 1400 acres were planted to cotton ; in 1911, 14,000 acres; and in 1917 approximately 70,000 acres, producing 35,000 bales. Oil mills and cotton mills have been con-
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HISTORY OF IMPERIAL COUNTY
structed to care for the crop. Cotton has been especially valuable on the Mexican side of the line on account of the favorable labor conditions where Chinese could be imported and where Mexican labor was avail- able, and also because the cattle business which formally flourished in the delta region became rather hazardous on the account of the unsettled conditions of the country.
A large number of varieties have been tried out and have proven sat- isfactory. Short cotton has always predominated in spite of a strong endeavor on the part of those interested in the future of the industry to establish a variety of superior quality. The admixture of seed resulting from the unregulated plantings of various varieties has resulted in a decided deterioration in the cotton grown. There is no cotton seed in the Valley in any quantity which is pure from the variety standpoint. Egyptian cotton is now receiving much favor on the part of many of the cotton growers on account of the high prices, the abnormal demand and because of the proven fact that Egyptian cotton will stand a water shortage with less damage than other varieties now grown in the Val- ley. The Durango cotton, which made a strong bid for supremacy, ranks second to the short cotton in importance at the present time.
Cotton has proved to be a valuable addition to the crops in the Val- ' ley. It fits in well with the general crop rotation. The labor load comes during the late spring at the time of thinning and during the fall and winter at the time of picking. Some difficulty has been experienced in securing labor, but this difficulty has not proved so serious as at first anticipated. Cotton is well adapted to the small farm, and it is probable that the labor difficulty will be finally overcome by planting Egyptian cotton on small farms, where the labor of the family can be utilized in the harvest season.
The early spring has, of course, developed an important truck indus- try. The development of the cantaloupe industry has been phenomenal. At present over five thousand cars are shipped from this Valley an- nually. These are shipped to all the important cities of the United States and have given the Valley considerable publicity. The early let- tuce is just assuming proportions. Lettuce is shipped in iced crates as far as Boston. Winter cabbage, onions, asparagus and peas are shipped in car-load lots and are rapidly becoming a larger factor in the farming interests of the Valley.
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The agriculture of Imperial Valley is based on sound foundation. The live-stock industry, including dairy, depends upon alfalfa, corn and barley, and these crops will always remain as important crops. Cotton will no doubt survive with the present extension of Egyptian cotton, and early truck will continue to increase in volume on account of the distinct advantages in earliness.
CHAPTER IX
HORTICULTURE
BY F. W. WAITE
IN DISCUSSING the development of Imperial County's horticultural in- terests, we must take into consideration the fact that in 1900 the popu- lation was nothing, consequently there was nothing produced. In 1917 the population was fifty thousand, with a production of commodities valued at thirty-three million dollars (about the same amount as the assessed valuation). This production consisted mostly of alfalfa, bar- ley, corn, cotton and cattle, not forgetting that these four hundred thousand acres had to be reclaimed from a desert waste; all this having been done in seventeen years, there was very little time to devote to the planting of fruit trees. Since the year 1912 and including the year 1917, the following fruit and other trees have been brought into the county, according to the records of this office : 1528 almond, 4622 apple, 16,748 apricot, 130,998 berry, 68 cherry, 4702 fig, 2088 grape, 2190 lemon, 22,- 207 olive, 40,295 orange, 9983 peach, 8499 pear, 1485 plum, 270 prune, and 625,247 ornamental. A few imported date palms and many thou- sand date seeds have been planted. This gives an idea as to the principal kinds of fruit now growing in the country, at the same time many trees have been grown in the Valley which will increase the number consid- erably. During the past years nearly every kind of fruit and nuts grown have been planted here, and it is possible to raise at least enough of them for family use, with the exception of the cherry and walnut.
On account of the extremely long hot season, fruit ripens very early, going on the market the first of the season with no competition, the pro- ducers thereby receiving very attractive returns. Grapes are one of the best and leading fruits of the Valley, the early varieties-Persians-be- gin ripening the first of June, followed closely by the Thompson seed- less, then the Malagas, which continue through the shipping season to about the last of July. Many other varieties do well here that have not been successfully grown in other sections of the State. Experiments are
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being made with many other varieties and there are some now very promising that may take the place of the present commercial varieties. There are one thousand and ten acres of old bearing vines and several hundred acres of new plantings. About one hundred and eighty cars of the fruit crop are shipped east each year and bring fancy prices. It is possible to raise three crops each season.
Grapefruit has proven to be the best of the citrus fruits, young trees three years old have the size of trees in other localities twice their age and yield considerable fruit. There have been more grapefruit trees planted in this county than any other variety, as will be noted by the above record. The largest orchard of grapefruit consists of sixty acres. The long hot summer does wonders for the quality of this fruit. To give an uninterested person's opinion, I will quote from an expert of the United States Department of Agriculture, who says, "The fruit which you sent me have fine quality, very juicy and sweet, the flesh is tender and there is little rag, the rind is thin, and as a whole I should say that the fruit is of a superior and pleasing quality." Very little sugar is needed in eating Imperial Valley grapefruit.
Lemons do very well, growing a very juicy fruit, with thin skin and full of acid.
Many varieties of oranges have been tried out, the seedlings produce the best quality of fruit ; however, the Washington navels ripen the first of November and should be picked as soon as ripe for best results.
There are many olive trees planted in different sections of the Val- ley, the largest orchard consists of forty acres. Of the deciduous fruit the apricot is in the lead. The early varieties ripen by April the twenti- eth, and shipments continue until the last of May. Newcastle and Royal are the principal varieties. It is almost unbelievable how fast apricot trees grow in this Valley. With good care a year old tree is the size of a tree three years old in other districts.
Nearly all varieties of peaches have been tried and the Chinese and southern varieties have proven to be the most profitable, however peaches are not considered commercially.
Pears are being tried out on quite a large scale, one orchard consists of sixty acres and is reported as successful.
This is a natural country for the fig, which produces large, firm quality fruit.
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HISTORY OF IMPERIAL COUNTY
Many people predict that the date industry in Imperial Valley will develop into one of great importance. Due to the fact that it is impos- sible to obtain imported date offshoots, as there is an embargo on ac- count of the war, it is slow to establish the business by planting seeds, although many promising fruits have been obtained in that way. At the present time there are several promising gardens here, and the fruit is as fine as that raised in Algeria, Arabia or any of the Sahara countries. It is possible to utilize many thousand acres of land not suited for agri- cultural crops for the growing of dates.
Our commercial berry is the strawberry, and they do well, producing a fine fruit and netting the grower a handsome profit. Last season six cars were shipped and it is estimated for 1918 that there will be four- teen carloads. This county is noted for its rapid increase in develop- ments along all lines of production.
Much could be said for the cantaloupe of this Valley, as this county produces more cantaloupes than any one State in the Union. All the markets of the country know of the Imperial Valley cantaloupe. In 1917 there were thirteen thousand acres planted and over five thousand carloads shipped. The melons are marketed through a marketing bureau conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture bureau of markets. Planting season begins January I, under cover, and the ship- ping season begins about the middle of May.
Asparagus is one of the products of this Valley that brings the great- est returns to the owners of any of the present crops. The season opens about the fifth of February and continues for a couple of months. Early in the season it is not uncommon to receive one dollar and twenty-five cents a pound in the East.
INSECTS AND OTHER PESTS ATTACKING IMPERIAL VALLEY FRUIT TREES
Well selected, strong vigorous root stock, properly planted, irrigated and cared for, will reduce the possible infestation, with few exceptions, to a minimum. Insects in many instances do their work where there has been neglect on the part of the caretaker.
Many kinds of insects are listed by entomologists, preying on each kind of fruit trees, all the way from a few up to seventy-seven different insects which attack certain kinds of fruit trees. One might hesitate about going into the fruit business on account of the vast number of in-
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HORTICULTURE
sects that are seemingly waiting to destroy the trees, but when under- stood and applied, perhaps one treatment will control the situation against all comers.
So far the damage done by insects and other pests on the apricots is limited. The most serious, some seasons, are the linnets and sparrows eating the buds as they begin to swell early in the spring; these pests are rather difficult to control. Thrips do some damage, but are not of so very much importance to the early varieties. One serious condition exists which does a lot of damage, and that is when there are quantities enough of alkali and lack of drainage, this causes the leaves and twigs to die back and finally the tree succumbs. This condition would be seri- ous for all trees.
Crown gall has made its appearance as it always does when trees of this kind are planted. The remedy is to plant trees known to be free from infestation.
There is a small spider which does some damage to the date which can be controlled by the use of sulphur.
Figs are quite free from destructive insects, birds and bees excepted. Soil conditions and humidity play considerable part in getting large quantities of first quality fruit as in date culture, but not to great extent.
The insect that does the most damage, and not of very great impor- tance to grapes in the Valley, is the grape leaf hopper. To prevent the introduction of Phylloxera, a quarantine is placed against all sections north of the Tehachapi Mountains, not allowing grape vines or cuttings to enter this county from infested districts.
The insects that prey upon the grapefruit will be the same that attack the entire citrus family. The scale insects that are costing many thou- sands of dollars annually to control in the citrus belts are not yet estab- lished in this Valley, yet we take the stand that where the host plant lives the insects are likely to live also.
While I will admit that some of the scale insects that are very seri- ous in the coast region do not exist in our Valley, due to the long seasons of hot weather, there are other scale insects that will thrive in this cli- mate as is already the condition in San Joaquin Valley, to the extent that crops of oranges have been lost on account of this scale insect, there are also other valleys in the State. I refer to the Coccus citricola scale, which was first given the name of gray scale. It is absolutely
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HISTORY OF IMPERIAL COUNTY
necessary that strict inspection of all citrus nursery stock as well as citrus fruit be maintained. To much care can not be taken to keep out these scale insects. To reduce the risk as much as possible all citrus nursery stock must be defoliated and rosin washed; where the mealy bugs are known to exist the trees should not only have the above treat- ment, but should be shipped with bare roots, or not allowed to enter the county.
AN ACT RELATING TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER OF HORTICULTURE
The State of California has enacted laws for the protection of horti- cultural and agricultural interests, providing for the establishing of hor- ticultural commissioners to enforce the laws. Sec. 2322A: "It shall be the duty of the county horticultural commissioner in each county, when- ever he shall deem it necessary to cause an inspection to be made of any premises, orchards or nurseries or trees, plants, vegetables, vines or fruits, or any fruit-packing house, storeroom, salesroom or any other place or article in his jurisdiction, and if found infected or infested with infectious diseases, scale insects or coddling moth or other insects or animal pests injurious to fruits, plants, vegetables, trees or vines or with their eggs or larva, or if there is found growing thereon the Rus- sian thistle or saltwort, Johnson grass or other noxious weeds, or red rice, water grasses or other weeds or grasses detrimental to rice culture. he shall in writing notify the owner or owners, or person or persons in charge, or in possession of the said places, or orchards or nurseries, or trees or plants, vegetables, vines or rice fields or fields adjacent to rice fields, or canals or ditches used for the purpose of conveying water to rice fields for the irrigation thereof, or fruit, or article as aforesaid, that the same are infected or infested with said diseases, insects, ani- mals, or other pests or any of them, or their eggs or larvae, or that the Russian thistle or saltwort, Johnson grass or other noxious weeds, or red rice, water grasses or other weeds or grasses detrimental to rice cul- ture is growing thereon, and requires such person or persons to eradi- cate or destroy or to control to the satisfaction of the county horticul- tural commissioner."
Sec. 2322F : "Any person, persons, firm or corporation who shall re- ceive, bring or cause to be brought into any county or locality of the State of California from another county or locality within said State
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HORTICULTURE
any nursery stock, trees, shrubs, plants, vines, cuttings, grass, scions, buds, or fruit pits, or fruit or vegetables, or seed for the purpose of planting or propagating the same, or any or all such shipments of nur- sery stock, shrubs, trees, plants, vines, cuttings, grafts, scions, buds or fruit pits, or fruit or vegetables, or seed or containers thereof or other orchard appliances which the county horticultural commissioner or the State commissioner of horticulture may consider liable to be infested or infected with dangerous insect pests or plant diseases or noxious weed seeds, and which if so infested or infected would constitute a dangerous menace to the orchards, farms and gardens of the county or State, shall immediately after the arrival thereof notify the county com- missioner of horticulture, his deputy or nearest inspector of the county in which such nursery stock, or fruit or vegetable or seed are received of their arrival, and hold the same without unnecessarily moving or placing such articles where they may be harmful for immediate inspec- tion by such county commissioner of horticulture, his deputy, inspec- tor, or deputy quarantine officer or guardian."
Sec. 2322J : "Any person, persons, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceed- ing six months, or by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or by both fine and imprisonment."
CHAPTER X
IMPERIAL COUNTY FARM BUREAU
BY ARTHUR E. MADISON, SECRETARY
DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
President, Mike Liebert
Farm Adviser, C. E. Sullivan
Vice-President, W. R. Lienau
Asst. Farm Adviser, J. E. Hertel
Treasurer, Frank Vander Poel
Secretary, A. E. Madison
Home Demonstration Agent, Mrs. Della J. Morris
Centers
Directors
Farm Home Dept. Chairmen
Verde,
A. H. Smithson,
Mrs. A. H. Smithson
Mesquite Lake,
Jacob Lorang,
Mrs. W. H. Kirby
Calipatria,
H. H. Clark.
Miss May Beattie
Acacia,
J. M. Grafton,
Mrs. Frank M. Ballou
Westmoreland,
C. F. Boarts,
Mrs. L. O. Bannister
Meloland,
O. L. James,
Mrs. Walter Wilkinson
Seeley,
D. F. Harbison,
Mrs. Wm. M. Moores
McCabe,
Frank Vander Poel,
Mrs. Frank M. Moore
Magnolia,
B. D. Irvine,
Mrs. B. D. Irvine
Eastside,
Wm. M. Abrams,
Mrs. F. M. Wright
South Fern,
W. R. Lienau,
Miss Mildred Boyd
Mt. Signal,
Grover Lofftus,
Mrs. Stuart Swink
La Verne,
H. F. Barton,
Miss Elsie Angel
"WHEN tillage begins other arts follow; the farmers, therefore, are the founders of human civilization," the truth of which is exemplified in no greater degree than in the Imperial Valley-that desert empire which by peaceful though ruthless conquest was wrested by the Colorado River from the mountain and valley soils of neighboring States now known as Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Wyo- ming. For unknown periods of time that river has been busy in the pro- cess of erosion of rich earths, their transportation as silt, and finally
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IMPERIAL COUNTY FARM BUREAU
depositing them on the bed of an inland sea, probably at one time a part of the Gulf of California. After carefully spreading this vast tableland over an area of approximately a million acres from coast mountains to Yuma sand hills and from Mexico northward half a hundred miles, the Colorado wandered away to other fields, leaving a parched, unfruitful waste.
And then came the engineer and promoter and led back this life- giving stream, through canals and ditches, to convert this desert terrain into fertile fields, where "earth is here so kind that just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest."
Then came the pioneer farmers, tradesmen, laborers, mercharts, pro- fessional and scientific men; railroads were built, villages g, ew to towns and cities ; production of crops increased until at the end of the first decade of the organization of the county, over $40,000,000 had been produced, and the population had grown to over 40,000.
The cities organized commercial clubs and chambers of commerce to promote the civic, industrial and social welfare of the urban popula- tion and, later, in response to a general demand for an organization rep- resenting and furthering the interests of the rural and agricultural citi- zens of Imperial Valley, a mass meeting was called to take place at Brawley, on December 18, 1915, whither over a thousand people -jour- neyed from all parts of the county to take part in the formation of the Imperial County Farm Bureau.
THE FARM BUREAU
OBJECTS AND PURPOSES
The Farm Bureau has a unique place in the life especially of an agri- cultural community, possessing the characteristics of a rural chamber of commerce, a society for educational and social purposes, and a clear- ing house for the invaluable agricultural experiments carried on by the U. S. Department of Agriculture throughout the nation ; by the colleges of agriculture and experiment stations, not only in California, but in all the other States of the Union, the results of which are available in bul- letin form. (Hundreds of these bulletins are on file for free distribution at Farm Bureau Office, El Centro).
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HISTORY OF IMPERIAL COUNTY
The Farm Bureau is county wide in its scope, embracing within one central organization fourteen local associations called "farm centers."
Farm Centers. Each farm center is a distinct and independent unit, with a president, vice-president and secretary, and with headquarters usually at the district schoolhouse, where one regular monthly meeting is held each month, with a program consisting of talks by the farm ad- viser or his assistant, the home demonstration agent, by experts and specialists from the University of California, the U. S. Department of Agriculture, experiment stations, and by educational and other public officials. To further enliven the meeting, music, motion pictures or other entertainment features are given, often followed by a social time and refreshments. In fact the farm center contributes to the welfare of the rural community as no other single agency has been able to do. Be- sides the regular monthly meetings, special meetings are called for spe- cial purposes, notably Red Cross work, demonstrations in food con- servation, good roads, and other matters of local interest.
Organization. The presidents of these fourteen farm centers also act in the capacity of director of the central organization, the County Farm Bureau. President, vice-president, secretary and treasurer are elected at the annual meeting and serve one year. Meetings are held once each month, or oftener on call of the president. Besides these officers, there is a staff of farm adviser, assistant farm adviser and home demonstra- tion agent.
Farm Adviser. The farm adviser is usually a graduate of an agricul- tural college with a practical experience in farming, and it is no exag- geration to say that he is one of the busiest men in the county, inasmuch as his hours run from early morning until past midnight fourteen days of each month. Night meetings are held in fourteen different centers, and to these the farm adviser travels to give talks on various subjects, ranging from disease control of dairy cattle, such as hog cholera, black- leg and tuberculosis, roup in poultry, etc., through subjects such as si- lage crops, silos, pig club work, home gardens, cotton culture and vari- eties, soils, drainage, grasshopper control, contagious abortion in cattle, lungworms, etc. Various specialists from the university accompany him on these trips and give lectures on many of the above-named subjects. During the day the farm adviser is busy with calls from all parts of the Valley for soil examinations, help in treating sick hogs, cattle, chickens,
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advice in planting various crops, in drainage, in construction of silos, etc. His Ford is seen shooting here and there like a comet with a long tail of dust to various parts of the Valley.
State Leader of Farm Advisers. The farm adviser movement is car- ried on under the leadership of State Leader of Farm Advisers B. H. Crocheron, and Assistant State Leader Professor W. E. Packard. An- nually and sometimes oftener conferences are called of all the advisers in the State, together with delegates from each of the farm bureaus in the State for a conference, which results in unifying the movement.
Cow-Testing Department. A cow-testing association, the largest in the world, was organized, with over 4000 cows, with four testers at work, to aid by scientific means the dairyman in ridding his herd of un- profitable cows. Testing is for butterfat and milk production, and the following will show the results aimed at: Cow No. I produced in one year 560.4 pounds of butterfat, with an income from the butterfat, the skim milk and calf, of $227.25, less a labor and feed cost of $63.60, showing a profit of $163.25; Cow No. 2, the poorest, produced in one year 70 pounds of butterfat, with an income from butterfat, skim milk and calf, of only $31.63, less a labor and feed cost of $54.50, showing a net loss of $22.87. Both were good looking cows, but adding the profit of Cow No. I, and the loss of Cow No. 2, showed a difference of $186- .52. The value of testing is readily apparent. In order to arouse interest in testing, cows producing over 45 pounds butterfat per month are listed in the Farm Bureau Monthly each month, with name of owner.
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