The Culture of Citrus Fruits, Dates, and 

 Other Crops in the Coachella, 

 Imperial and Yuma 

 Districts* 



R. n. CORNELIi 



But few of the farms and orchards of the Coachella, Imperial, and 

 Yuma districts have really been cared for in a scientific manner, have been 

 made to produce all that could be expected of them under the most favor- 

 able management. Cultivation seems generally to have been neglected. The 

 conditions of temperature and soil are such that by merely planting and 

 watering the crop or orchard, it produces far in excess of mo.st localities 

 where much more careful attention is given to tillage and fertilization. 



In the Coachella Valley, the .soil is generally light, and care must be 

 taken in the selection of land, that it is not too sandy and light for the 

 best growing of crops. Alkali is general throughout the valley, and should 

 always be avoided. 



In the Imperial Valley the .soils are divided into three types; soft, 

 medium, and heavy. The soft soil is undoubtedly the best for orchard and 

 farm work, as it consists of a light sandy loam, easily worked and handled. 

 The heavy soil is of a stiff, clayey nature and will grow only a fraction of 

 the crop that can be raised on the soft soil. It is very difficult to till, and 

 causes constant trouble in cultivating after irrigation. The medium soil is 

 a ccmprcmise between the other two in ([uality, ea.se of tillage, and pro- 

 ductivity. Alkali and salt are found throughout the valley in varying 

 quantities and should be avoided. 



At Yuma are the mesti lands and the bottom lands. Here, both soils 

 vary somewhat, the light soil being generally the best. On the river bot- 

 toms is to be found a silt loam, rich and medium soft. Salts and alkali 

 vary from nothing up to one per cent. 



CITRUS FRUITS 



In no place visited in the three valleys was there any indication of 

 scale or pest on the citrus trees. Gum disea.se, due to improper handling, 

 was the cnly apparent ailment, and this had been overcome in most in- 

 stances. The trees were all hardy and thrifty in appearance, and generally 

 of good color. In no instance had the trees received proper care as to 



*This article was written by Mr. Ralph D. Cornell, landscape gardener, as the 

 report of an expedition to the vicinities mentioned. The expedition was made during 

 the summer of 1912, under the direction of the Chuckawalla and Palo Verde Irrigation 

 Association of Los Angeles, and the report is published here by the permission of 

 Dr. George Wharton James. 



