The spectacular incidents connected with
the reclamation of the desert and with the subduing of the turbulent
Colorado have given Imperial Valley a charm of romance that is hard to
equal. A history of agriculture under such conditions must be a story of
human interest as well as a statistical record of development, for the
tabulation of crop values and crop increases, or a simple study of
varieties and yields would neglect the record of human endeavor which
has overcome obstacles well nigh insurmountable. The spirit of the
pioneer who traveled across the wind-blown wastes to build homes and
schools in the board and canvas shanties of the pre-railroad days is the
real force that has made possible the remarkable development in Imperial
Valley agriculture.
The rich natural resources in climate,
soil and water furnished the necessary raw material for the fashioning
of most productive farms by the pioneers. The farming was at first
rather crude, but in fifteen years the production has gone from nothing
to an annual output of over twenty million dollars' worth of farm
products. On account of the roughness of some of the lighter soils the
harder clay soils were the first to be farmed, and many discouragements
were encountered during the early days. As the valley settled up the
rougher areas were leveled and put into crop, so that now over four
hundred thousand acres are under cultivation. The barley and grain
sorghums of the early days, although still of importance, do not command
the same relative place with other crops.
There is no agricultural area in the
world where the climatic conditions are more extreme than in Imperial
Valley. Located below sea level, with a record of humidity below that of
the Nile Valley, with an annual rainfall varying from two to three
inches, and with temperatures as high as are recorded in any
agricultural area, Imperial Valley at least presents conditions that are
unusual. The early spring and long growing season make specialization
possible. Imperial Valley has become famous for its production of
out-of-season crops, such as cantaloupes, early-table grapes or lettuce,
for the crops of high value and unusual interest such as dates and
cotton, and for the large yields of field crops made possible by the
long growing season.
The low humidity, fewer cloudy days, the
greater intensity if sunlight, and the higher temperatures associated
with the lack of rainfall in this arid belt, produces an environment
widely different from the conditions in the rainfall sections of the
South or Middle West, or in the semi-arid sections of California. The
following table gives a general comparison between the meterological
conditions in Imperial Valley and other sections:
Temperature and
Rainfall Records
No. of
years Elevation Maximun Minimum Mean Max. Min. Mean
record
Temperatures Rainfall
Calexico...... 10 0 121
18 61.6 9.3 .64 3.58
Merced........ 36 173 120
16 53.2 23.7 4.2 10.3
Phoenix,
Ariz......... 10 1068 119
17 69 --- --- ---
Cairo, Egypt.. 10 100 112
31 67 --- --- ---
Greenville,
Miss....... 38 397 105
5 64 66.6 32.32 48.01
Savannah,
Georgia.... 58 65 105
8 65.5 73.3 33.5 40.42
Irrigation has had a slight effect on the
relative humidity of the Valley, and it is probable that as the
irrigated area extends the humidity may continue to rise slightly,
enough perhaps to allow sensitive crops to grow which at present do not
find congenial conditions in Imperial Valley. This increased humidity,
due to irrigation, has proved to be entirely local, however, as the
amount of evaporation from the irrigated area has not been sufficient to
affect the climatic conditions in the general locality. A study of the
change of humidity from the desert to the central portion of the Valley
shows a decided difference, a rather abrupt change occurring on the line
between the desert and the irrigated area. The humidity immediately
about the plants in the field is often high on account of the rapid
evaporation from the irrigated land and on account of the rapid
transportation of moisture from the leaves.
The distinct advantages offered by the
climate in Imperial Valley are the earliness and the long growing
season. These were soon capitalized by the settlers, who developed early
truck which soon surpassed the records from other States. Imperial
Valley became known as the cantaloupe paradise of the country, and over
five thousand cars were shipped from the Valley in 1917. Other truck was
developed and is rapidly gaining ground. Live-stock of course became an
important part of the Valley's industries, for the long season for
pasture and the large yields of forage to be secured offered very
favorable conditions for cattle, hogs and dairy stock. The extreme heat
and intense sun-light during the early summer months were too severe for
certain sensitive plants such as the avocado or the mango, and trials of
these and other similar fruit failed, although these same conditions
have proved congenial to the date, which bids fair to be one of the
important outputs in the near future.
The development of agriculture in any
country is more or less governed by the soil conditions found in the
particular localities, and Imperial Valley is nor an exception to the
rule. The soils are rich from the standpoint of mineral plant food
elements, and if properly handled are very productive. The types vary
from the heavy clay, which is exceedingly fine and hard to work, to the
loosest sands, which are porous and contain little organic matter. The
kind of crop grown is determined largely by the type of soil. The truck
and fruit planting are located on the sands and sandy loams, while the
grains, both barley and wheat in winter and milo or corn in the summer,
on the clay loams and clays. All of the soils are deficient in organic
matters, as would be expected, and alfalfa is therefore used almost
universally as a humus producer. Land that has been in alfalfa for years
is worth far more than raw land for truck, cotton or fruit, and is, of
course, in great demand. The addition of organic matter, especially
through the growing of alfalfa, proved not only important, but necessary
in the early history of the Valley.
Much confusion occurred during the early
days on account of the reported presence of excessive alkali salts.
History has proved that these salts do exist in excessive quantities in
certain portions of the Valley, while as a whole the agricultural area
is comparatively free from excessive quantities for ordinary field
crops.
A discussion of agriculture in Imperial
Valley would not be complete without a word regarding the water for
irrigation. There is no stream in America which carries more silt per
unit volume than does the muddy Colorado. The silt is both a valuable
fertilizer in the fields and a menace in the ditches. Although the silts
carried by the canals carry more fertility than is removed from the soil
by cropping, the annual cost to the irrigation district is approximately
half a million dollars. The Arizona experiment station has figured that
the silt carried by the river would annually build a barrier sixty feet
high over an area a mile square if deposited in one place. In addition
to being valuable as a fertilizer this silt has prevented the rapid rise
of water table so common in other sections, by filling up the soil pores
and thus preventing too rapid penetration. The silt at the same time has
made many of the harder clay soils more mellow by the deposit of sandy
material on the soil surface.
The plentiful supply of water in the river
has not always been available during the late summer or early fall, on
account of the lack of a proper diversion works in the river. Water is,
of course, the life of the country, and large losses have occurred
through diversion troubles. The fact that there is plenty of water in
the river for use at any time during the year is a tremendous asset, as
is fully realized.
No experimental data existed to help the
farmers of Imperial Valley in meeting the new problems which constantly
arose. Farmers' institutes were held during the early days, and these
meetings were well attended. This gave way to more local meetings in
school-houses as occasion arose. These local meetings have grown into
the Farm Bureau, which now has a membership of about seven hundred. In
order to study the effects of local climatic conditions on crop growth
and to secure reliable information regarding varieties best suited to
the section, the State Legislature provided funds for the establishment
of an agriculture experiment station farm of forty acres located at
Meloland. This station is still in operation and is working on some of
the fundamental problems of the region. Several reports have been
printed as a result of the work carried on at the experiment farm
covering variety trials, soils and irrigation work, insect control and
cultural requirements.
Imperial Valley was settled in a large
part by those who did not have a large amount of capital. Most of the
early settlers were dependent upon early returns from the land, or upon
work furnished on neighboring farms or by the California Development
Company. This fact, together with a lack of knowledge regarding crop
adaptability, prevented a large planting of fruit, which required time
before returns would be forthcoming. The Valley was therefore almost
entirely devoted to grain and alfalfa. Barley and wheat were the winter
crops and grain sorghums and alfalfa were the summer crops. Alfalfa was
usually planted as soon as the land was properly leveled, barley being
grown on land as the first crop after leveling.
The early farming methods were not the
best. It was not uncommon for a farmer to broadcast barley on newly
leveled land, disc it in and irrigate it up, harvest the crop and rely
for three or four years on a volunteer crop by discing and irrigating in
the fall without further planting. Results from these careless methods
did not do justice to the agricultural possibilities of the Valley, but
produced a profit on the small investment. An early attack of rust
prevented the extension of the wheat acreage, so that barley was the
main and practically the only winter crop grown during the early days.
Barley was disced into the alfalfa during the fall and produced a good
winter pasture at a time when the alfalfa grew slowly, besides making a
valuable combination crop in the spring. This practice is still followed
and with good results. The acreage in barley is diminishing as the
acreage in other crops increases. Large areas of the harder soils are
still devoted to barley. Barley is still a valuable crop on diversified
ranches where a small lot is planted in the ordinary rotation to furnish
grain or hay for the stock. The farm binder is becoming more common and
the old time combine is gradually losing its place.
As stated above, alfalfa usually followed
barley as the second crop following leveling. Alfalfa is the foundation
of Imperial Valley agriculture, for it not only is one of the universal
crops, a crop which pays well, but is the basis if nearly all rotation
schemes. Bermuda grass is perhaps its greatest enemy, but when plowed up
every four or five years the Bermuda can be effectively controlled and
the regular crop production maintained.
Alfalfa is cut from five to nine times in
Imperial Valley and produces from three to ten tons per acre per year.
Taking good and bad land together, the average yield has been about four
to four and a half tons per acre. The yields vary of course with the
type and soil and the treatment given. The sandy loams have proven to be
the best soil for alfalfa as for most other crops. In addition to the
hay crop alfalfa furnishes a valuable winter pasture. Thousands of head
of stock are brought in each winter to fatten on the hay stored up from
summer cuttings. The winter pasture is usually sold in connection with
the hay, the cattle feeding on the pasture and being fed hay at the same
time. Most of the alfalfa in the Valley is pastured at some time of the
year. On dairy and hog ranches the fields are pastured constantly, a
system of rotation of field giving the alfalfa a time to recover between
pasturings.
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 volunteer 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 hundred 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 constructed 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 available, 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 satisfactory. 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 Valley. 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 Valley. 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 industry. The development of the cantaloupe industry
has been phenomenal. At present over five thousand cars are shipped from
this Valley annually. These are shipped to all the important cities of
the United States and have given the Valley considerable publicity. The
early lettuce us 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.
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.