12 
BULLETIN 654, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
farmers to go into the dairy business; the industry is now expanding 
and with the continuation of present economic conditions promises 
to become one of the leading enterprises of the valley. The fattening 
of beef cattle is a leading enterprise with the larger farmers, while 
the production of poultry and pork is carried on to a greater or less 
extent on the smaller farms. 
Table IV. — Crop report, Yuma project, Arizona-California, year of 1916. 
Area 
(acres). 
Unit of 
yield. 
Yields. - 
Values. 
Crop. 
Total. 
Average 
per acre. 
Per unit 
of yield. 
Total. 
\lfalfahav 
10,880 
8,100 
1,195 
234 
55 
4,897 
1,832 
4,670 
4,670 
89 
338 
901 
7,2S2 
456 
Ton 
Bushel 
do 
do 
do 
do 
Ton 
Pound 
do 
28,029 
43, 930 
28,086 
2,428 
1,875 
195, 799 
5,902 
2,289,430 
4, 582, 610 
3.5S 
5.42 
23.50 
10.37 
34.00 
39.97 
3.22 
490 
981 
S9.52 
7.48 
.69 
4.20 
.72 
.64 
3.27 
.174 
.015 
S266, 898 
328, 725 
19,433 
10. 215 
1^ 315 
Barlev 
124, 915 
19, 289 
337,420 
Cotton . 
70, 277 
4,440 
25.038 
10,383 
82, 643 
Fruit 
Truck 
Ton 
1,075 
1.20 
9.66 
Wheat . . 
Bushel.... 
7,220 
15.84 
1.39 
10,032 
64,350 
Estimated additional revenue derived 
from pasturing alfalfa and stalk 
lands and feeding alfalfa straw after 
Less duplicated areas 1 
17.316 
2S, 2S3 
Grand 
total 
Total cropped acreage 
1,435,403 
Markets and market facilities are quite similar to those in Salt 
River Valley. Connections with the East and with the Pacific coast 
are afforded by the Southern Pacific Railroad, which passes through 
Yuma. Recently a railroad traversing the entire length of the valley 
has been constructed on the Colorado River levee. The road con- 
nects with the Southern Pacific at Yuma and furnishes local trans- 
portation from the valley to the main railway line. 
Agricultural development 1 in Yuma Valley began in 1886, when 
Capt. Ingalls and Mr. John Gandolfo established a pumping plant 
near a lagoon in the lower part of the valley. They were followed 
by a few other pioneers, and in 1890 there were 6 irrigators in the 
valley, with a total of 555 acres under cultivation. In 1S91 the 
Yuma Pumping Irrigation Co. was formed and established a pump- 
ing plant near the town of Yuma, which drew water for irrigation 
from the Colorado River. The same year the Yuma Fruit Co. was 
organized and began developments on 329 acres, 4-h miles south of 
Yuma, but the enterprise was finally abandoned. At this time a few 
settlers began coming into the valley, but immediately experienced 
1 The facts for this brier history of the early development of Yuma Valley were furnished by Miss C 
Louise Boehringer, superintendent of the schools of Yuma County. 
