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| Are You Contemplating Moving?
•|* We are equipped to handle ah who have farms in the imperial Settlement and expect We take contracts
to commence farming will find it to their interest to commu- ~
all kinds of freight nn j oate w i t h us. . to plant and care for crops .
% Rates and estimates furnished WJ H>ca4-4-4-fc*~« JG% C^ *-* Imperial via
* on application ▼▼ • r^tXVVKJT\ OC WO* Plowfttgwell, Cal. \
A PEW f ACTS
(Continued from first page)
valley in Arizona. The nights as a
rule are not too warm for comfort in the
summer months. The atmosphere is
s ) very dry that the heat which, at
mid-day, runs above a hundred in the
shade for weeks at a time, is not op
pressive.
As to crops, this will be a general
farming country, with alfalfa a staple,
;.nd the fattening of cattle will be a
leading industry. This will be the
greatest cattle fattening country in
the United States. More cattle can
be fattened here on a given area and
;it less expense than in any other
known section.
Eventually it will be an early fruit
country. This industry will develop
gradually. It is probably teo cold for
citrus fruits in most localities, but de
ciduous fruits and raisin grapes will
develop here to perfection.
So much for the country, the soil,
the climate, the productions and the
work already done to make this coun
try habitable, but nothing will succeed
without water.
The California Development Com
pany commenced work last August on
the main canal at Hanlon Heading on
the Colorado river.
A larjfe dredge was purchased, hav
ing a capacity to handle 3,000 cubic
yards of dirt every twenty-four hours.
This dredge, which is forty-five feet in
width, has worked its way down to
wards the Salton River channel, dig'
tfinfj the canal as it went, for a dis
tance of nearly ten miles, so that now
the water is running down from the
Colorado river through the canal into
the Salton river channel to a point
where it is beintf diverted into the
canal a^ain near Cameron Lake,
about fifty miles from Hanlon Head
ing.
A hydraulic dredge has also been
constructed with which to pump the
silt, that may settle from the water,
back into the Colorado river again.
This dredge is now at work near the
temporary heading of the canal. The
permanent heading has not as yet
been constructed. Below the perma
nent heading there will be a large set
tling basin in which all the coarser
matter in the water will settle. This
basin will be about half mile long by
a quarter of a mile wide. The
'ower head gates now being built are
just below this basin, and a
'porary heading a mile below the
.nanent heading and just above the
lower headgates is now being used to
take the water from the river into the
canal.
For several mouths past a large
force of teams and Fresno scrapers
has been at work constructing the
main canal that is to furnish water to
that portion of the desert between
Salton and New rivers. This main
canal is seventy feet wide and will
carry four or five feet of water. By
the first of June the water will be at
the town of Imperial and the distribut
ing canals will be completed as rapidly
as possible, so that by next winter
those who are located between these
two rivers will be able to have the
water delivered to their lands. Many
of the settlers will be able t<> procure
Imperial iprcoo
water this summer for summer crops,
such as sorghum, Egyptian corn and
other similar crops.
Recently a steam excavator has been
brought to Imperial and will be set to
work to assist in dredging the distri
buting system of canals and ditches,
and the work will now progress more
rapidly." The work with teams has
been very expensive, as hay has cost
$30 a ton and grain $35 a ton, and with
feed at these prices, one hundred and
seventy horses have been kept busy on
the works for months. This has been
in addition to nearly as many more
employed on the canal near the Colo
rado river.
During the past year an immense
amount of work has been done under
great difficulties. The worst is now
over. The water will soon be deliver
ed. The public confidence in ultimate
success has been extraordinary.
It was hoped that the water could
have been delivered to the settlers in
time for active work in cultivating
their lands this season, but unforeseen
obstacles delayed the work for a few
weeks beyond the appointed time.
This is the record of a year's work.
The public are asked to scan it care
fully and pass judgement.
-For further particulars address
S. W. Fergusson, General Manager
Imperial Land Company, Imperial, via
Flowingwell, Calif.
Indio is Enjoying Prosperity
Regarding Indio, which is located on
the edge or the Colorado Desert, aild
is surrounded by soil the same as that
of the Imperial country, the Riverside
Enterprise says:
"One of the best indications of the
rapid growth and development that
has taken place in the section of the
country around Indio in the past year,
is the statement of competent persons
that where fifty votes were cast in that
precinct at the last election two hun
dred would now be cast. The recent
water development is the cause. Since
it has been demonstrated beyond ques
tion that there is abundance of water
there for irrigation all the land for
miles around has been located and
hundreds of acres are already under
cultivation, the crops being melons,
beets and other garden stuff.
• J . S. Wester field, who came in from
Indio today, says that the young beets
planted by the Oxnard Sugar Company
are well up, and the melon vines plant
ed by other parties are doing well,
though these have been set back some
by the coolness of the season.
"The work of sinking wells is going
on with much vigor, and that where
any attempt has been made for water
a good stream has been found. All
the way between Indio and Thermal
there are to be seen spouting wells,
and in most of the distance there has
been more or less work done in the
way of cultivating the land.
"Referring to the traffic on the rail
road, Mr. Westerfield says that it is
extraordinarily heavy for this season
of the year. Frequently the west
bound overland is brought through in
two sections, each section being a
good sized train of itself."
Artesian wells are doing for Indio in
part what irrigation canals will do for
the Imperial country.
Government Land With Plenty of Water
Do you want a ranch in Southern California? ■
A ranch of first-class soil at the Government price of $1.25 per acre?
With a right at small cost to all the irrigation water that can be
used? -
At an annual expense for water lower than ever before offered on
the Pacific Coast?
A ranch that will raise twelve tons of Alfalfa hay to the acre —
also other farm products, including early fruits?
If so, the following information will interest you.
The Colorado River furnishes the most abundant supply of water
for irrigation purposes to be found west of the Rocky Mountains.
Its greatest supply is furnished during the month of June, when
it is needed the most, and the least supply during December, when
it is needed the least — the river being about nine feet higher in
June than in December.
The river carries enough water to irrigate 8,000,000 acres of land,
hence the supply can never be cut short by dry seasons.
The Colorado Delta, located in Riverside and San Diego counties
in Southern California and extending down into Lower California,
comprises about 1,000,000 acres of level, irrigable land that has been
made during the past ages by alluvial deposits carried down by the
waters of the Colorado River,
The waters of this river carry more fertilizers than is carried by
the waters of any other river in the world, not excepting even the
Nile.
The soil of this Djlta is therefore as fertile as soil can be, and
when it is cultivated and irrigated by water from this source of sup-
ply, it must continue to remain fertile, as each season's irrigation
will deposit on each acre irrigated more than $10 worth of commer-
cial fertilizers deposited by the waters without extra expense.
An extensive irrigation system is now being constructed to re-
claim this large tract of country. The main canal will be enlarged
and the main branch canals will be extended to meet the demand
for water as the irrigated area is enlarged.
The land to be reclaimed is located in San Diego county, east of
the New River, and embr«ices 500,000 acres of level, fertile land,
free from Alkali, with sufficient slope to be easily irrigated. It is
all Government land and can be taken upunder the desert land law
or the homestead law.
This tract will be irrigated by mutual water companies, designat-
ed as Imperial Water Company No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 etc., which com-
panies are formed to distribute water to stockholders, only, at
cost.
The Imperial Land Company sells this water stock to the land-
owners — one share to each acre. The price is now only $11.25 per
share.
The terms of payment for the stock extend over a period of about
six years with interest at five per cent.
A town for a business center is now being laid out and a branch
railroad to this town, connecting with the Southern Pacific, is on
the program.
This country is suited to the. production of alfalfa and other farm
products, and the fattening of cattle, a line of business that can
never be overdone.
It is also believed that* this will become a great early fruit
country.
Water will be ready for use for fall and winter crops.
For circular matter, address,
Imperial Land Company,
S. W. f EROISSON General Manager.
Imperial, via Flowingwell, Cal.