PERMISSmiT. IRRIGATION CnARfJFS 53 



The costs sot up in th«» nbovo tiil)I«^s. althoii(;h not fipurod on an 

 >»ntir«*ly comparable basis, do not (b'part wiflely from each other, 

 ••xc»'pt in one case nf \n\\ \ i»«I(l. (Ifnt-rally they ranfri- from about $7J)0 

 ro about $1> a ton. or fmm $1.') to $.'»! an at-rr for a six-ton yield, obtained 

 from six cuttin>r>. With a yieM of five tons to tlie acre the cost per ton 

 wouhl be slijjhlly hi<»her. 



Present irrigation water eosts an aere in the various upper San 



' "'"ix Valley projects under whiidi alfalfa is lar>»ely prown, as set out 



I ipter VI 1 1. Tables 4'J. 4S. and '>:i. vary considerably. In the 

 Kern Hiver Delta, they ranjre from 40 cents to $2; in the Ilanford 

 iri'a. from IX) cents to $12.4'). and under the Kaweali Delta canals, from 

 fl to ^-J.l!') ; or. for the various areas, .say from ;')() cents to $3. In many 

 cai-Ncs there is an additional I'ost for opcratinj; private pumpintj plants. 

 Costs cited under pumping plants (Tables 44, r»0. 55 and 56, includiu}? 

 the plants uniler which alfalfa is one of the principal crops irrigated) 

 ranpe from $H.<)() to .$L'.{.»ii). the hi^dier costs under the pumpiuf: plants 

 obviously beiufr unwarranted, exi-ept under particularly favorable 

 conditions? and pood management, and therefore in no sense a guide for 

 project planning. 



Income from Alfalfa and Amount Available for Irrigation Water Charges. 



Yi'hl. — The Caliioniia cmp n port for in2'> pives the average yield for 

 alfalfa in the state for 1!>LM;. i:>27. and IK'JS. as 4. 4.20 and 4.20 tons 

 I>er acre, respectively. This is much below a normal yield on pood 

 alfalfa land in the up|>er San Joaquin Valley. A "pood" yield should 

 be at least six tons jier acre, but a yield of five tons is considered as 

 hiph as is ju.siified from whiei' ♦<> -stimate a permi.ssible water charge. 



Pricf. — Alfalfa prices are not >iLrrivrafed from those of other tame hay 

 in the California crop report. However, prices paid to the prower in 

 the San .loarpiin Valley were obtained from the Farm Manapement 

 Section of the College of Apriculture for the years 1910 to lf>2'^ The 

 ' 'hted avi'raire for this nin- ' 'ar period was .$14.15 a ton ami 



t;. ...;ipe from $7.17 in l!H4. to .r_. .7 in 11»20. For the perio<l r.»21 

 to VXl^, which d(M>s not include the unM>ttled war pcrio<l or the period 

 of generally lower prices b«'for«' the war, the average was $15.55 and 

 the rarii.'<' frf>m $12. n<) to $i;> 05. An a\ price of $14 a ton is 



evidently a safe fipure to use for the puri ^ 'bis r<'port. in spite 



of the much lower fipure prcvailinp in 19M0. 



With a prmluction an<l harvesting cost for alfalfa of $9 n ton, 

 exelusive of interest and irripation •■ * • --on- 

 able in the lipht of t' ' ■• • - -diiit • i ;,..;. w. .. i. ,.i.. ...' — 



and a > ield of five ; the ti'' -f to the grower is $45 an 



acre At $14 a ton the pross income would be $70, leaving a margin of 

 $25 an acre to cover ir on the ir nf. irrigation water, and 



y>- •'•• ^ .....:.... . j,..r „pp, f,,. ,.,i,.i_ including imi)rovements 



a l.'t an acre would l>e left for irrigation water 



und additional profits. 



