Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-06-16
COTTON MAY Be KING.
A MATTER WORTH CONSIDERING BY
CALIFORNIA FARMERS.
This Oakland Cotton Mills Offer tn Buy
the Product of 5000 Acres of
California Cotton.

| Many persons have expressed a wonder
that the farmers of California have not
| gone extensively into the business of cotton
growing. Wherever the attempt has been
made the results were far beyond the ex-
| pectations of those making the expert
ment, but of late years little or nothing has
been heard of farmers engaging in that in
dustry. The cost of labor may have had
something to do with the cessation of con-
ton-growing in this State, but there seems
to be lack of authentic information as to
the cause. At all events, there are those
who believe that cotton n-growing can be
made to pay in this State, as the following
letter from the Superintendent of the Cali
fornia Cotton Mills at Oakland to busi-
ness firm in this city will show
| EAST OAKLAND. June 9, 1889.
MessrS 4. S. Hopkins d; Bro, Sdcrdment0-GEN-
| TLEaEN We are now using large quantity OF
| cotton in our mill. We have from time to time
| received small lots grown in this State and the
| quality is so superior that we are anxious 10
| have all we require grown in our own State
The writer has just seen Professor Hilgard Pro-
| lessor OF Agriculture in the State University
| here, and he assures me that cotton can be
raised in the Sacramento valley equal in
quantity and quality to any in the United States.
| Inc hlgn prices ranging now for both cotton
and cotton-seed assures larger profit from cot
| ton growing than from wheat, even at fifty
| bushels per acre of the latter
| Now, we wish to find out through you if you
| know any large farm-owners in the Sacramento
| valley who would be willing to talk with us on
| cotton-raising and consider propositions we
| might make regarding the planting of cotton.
The planting is simple matter, and the pick
| ing and ginning OF the crop we could arrange
| about to the entire satisfaction OF such farmers
as would be willing to go into it. We would
prefer land not far from river transportation, as
! we propose to ship the entire crop, pressed like
| hay, Just as the cotton is picked We would
| gin it all at the mills. From 500 10 900 acres
| of open sandy loan would be preferred
Please be kind enough to drop us a. note and say
| II you know of any farmers or landowners who
| would care about farming cotton, renting land
or going into cotton-planting on shares. We
| need the product of 5000 acres, and are getting
| some planted in the southern counties. ANY in.
| formation you can furnish US will be much
| valued. Yours truly,
WILLIAM RUTHERFORD.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE.
AS matter of fact the successful grow.
ing of cotton in this State has passed be-
| yond the stage of experiment. As far back
as 1874 Colonel Strong was raising excel
lent crops of that staple in Merced county,
and he demonstrated the fact by several
| years tests that California was one of the
|
cotton. His crop was of excellent quality,
being remarkably white and clean, and
| wholly free from stains of any kind. In
| its report for 1874 the State Agricultural
| Society said We believe that cotton cul-
| ture has been sufficiently tested to warrant
all of our farmers who have land to spare
TO enter into the business of cultivating
this staple on a large SCALE" The crop OF
| that year was about 1000 acres, and the
average was about one bale per acre.
| ADAPTABILITY OF OUR SOIL AND CLIMATE
DR.. John William Mallet, in his work on
| the science OF cotton culture in various Dor
| tions of the United States, says: Cotton
needs high summer temperature, al.
though not properly a tropical plant. II
produces fiber in diminished quantity
though of improved quality, when removed
from a southern locality to one farther
north. 1t never seems TO be injured BY the
most intense midday heat. 1t is
| evident, therefore, that, provided irriga.
| ton, where necessary, will take the place
of the summer rain of the Southern States
the seasons of California meet the require.
ments of the cotton plant. That the period
between the later frosts of spring and the
early frosts of the fall, in California are
longer than are absolutely required for the
complete maturity of the plant and its
bolls, and if (as is the case) the rains are
still withheld after the balls are matured
this lengthening of the period during
which the raw cotton may be picked with
out injury insures the saving of a larger
percentage of the crop in an undamaged
condition than is usually possible in the
| Southern States.
Beside this, the absence of rain during
a large part of the growing season by pre-.
venting the termination of grass and weeds
allows the cotton plant to appropriate the
| entire strength of the soil to itself, grow
| unchoked, and at the same time materially
| reduces the amount of labor necessary in
| its cultivation, and consequently the ex.
pense. For q sun plant the clear, bright
cloudless summer skies of our California
valleys would also seem to be peculiarly
adapted to favor its luxuriance of growth
and productiveness, which also proves tc
be the case. 1t would, therefore, appear
that what moisture is derived from the
rainfall in California is naturally we'll dis.
tributed, at least for the starting of the
plant and the gathering of the crop, and
the only open question is, whether irriga.
ton will supply the absence of rain OF
heavy dews during the growing season.
"On this point it might be sufficient tc
say that along our river bottoms the mos-
ture that is condensed nightly at the sea,
son when hay is cut, and while the cotton
plant is maturing, is at least so great thai
hay cut the day before often cannot safely
be stacked until the sun has been up sew.
eral hours to dry it. Away from the river.
this is not always the case"
JUST THE THING NEEDED.
1t is evident that California is naturally
a good cotton growing State, in point o
climate and soil, judicious irrigation beinl
able to supply any deficiency of moistur.
existing during the season when the plan
is growing and before the bolls are formed
and ripening The culture of cotton il
the warm valleys of California woulC
greatly increase the productiyeness anC
value of land. 1t would also supply yer,
desirable rotation in crops-a great desid
eratum in California-and would thus i'm
prove agriculture and restore the fertility
of the soil, which constant cropping il
wheat has, in many cases, diminished
would encourage the reclamation of over
flowed lands, and on such lands would in
sure crops in dry years when the upland
failed. 1t would afford more constant EN-
ploy ment to labor, particularly at the clos
OF the grain harvest, when cotton-pickin,
commences. 1t would also encourage tn,
establishment of factories for the manufact
ure of cotton goods sufficient for the con
sumption of the Pacific slope. In short
the extensive culture of cotton would Civ,
a great stimulus to the agricultural and la
Dor industries of the State. One possible
reason that it has not been more exten
sively engaged in may havesbeen the lacl
of irrigation facilities, but this obstacle il
rapidly being overcome.
1t would seem that some of our farmer
might, with good results, place themselve
in communication with the Oakland Cot
ton Mills people and arrange to go into tn
planting of cotton. II that company cal
consume only the product of 5000 acres
other factories would be erected-possibl,
at Folsom, in this county, where the create
water power of the American river viii
soon be available for mills of all kinds.