FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



September 



FIELD OF MILO MAIZE IN IMPERIAL VALLKY. 



call} r called, has come to be known as 

 one of the most important and notable 

 settlements ever planted not only in 

 America, but in the civilized world. 



The writer has just returned from a 

 visit of inspection to the valley, and will 

 attempt to tell in a conservative and just 

 way what he saw and learned of the 

 agricultural development of the coun- 

 try. His information as to crops, etc. , 

 was gathered, for the most part, from 

 farmers he met and talked with as a 

 mere visitor to the valley and not as a 

 newspaper correspondent. 



The Imperial Valle} 1 is located in the 

 great Colorado Desert and comprises 



about 500,000 acres of fertile land a 

 veritable desert without water, but a 

 fruitful garden with irrigation. 



The first water for irrigation was de- 

 livered at Imperial in June, 1901, and 

 in the short space of time required foi 

 the realization and development of this 

 unique experiment it is conservative!} 

 estimated that 70,000 acres are alreadj 

 under cultivation. Upon these deserl 

 lands when supplied with water an 

 grown, in lavish abundance, a variety 

 of crops, among which are the follow- 

 ing : grains, millet, Egyptian corn, al- 

 falfa, and sorghum ; and live stock 

 cattle, hogs, horses, and other animals. 



FLOODING SCENE NEAR IMPERIAL. 



