Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-05
THE COTTON TREE
SAID TO BE IMMUNE FROM WEE
VII ATTACK.
Likely to Do Well in Texas-Report
Made to the Mexican
Government.

Austin tTex) Correspondence Boston Transcript
In a supplemental report which Senior Don
Hllario Cuevds, a wealthy planter of San
Luis Soyatian. state of Jal!sco. has just
made 70 the Mexican government on the
cotton tree which he is successfully cult
waiting upon his plantation. he says that he
has demonstrated that the industry is n
practical commercial proposition. 1t is
serted that this wonderful tree is adapted
TO the soil and climate of southwest Texas,
and the experiment of growing II here is to
be tried number of persons who became
interested in Senior Cuevds' success have
obtained seeds of the tree from him, and
these have terminated nicely and the
trees give promise of a rapid growth. 1;
the trees can he successfully grown in
Texas 1t will mean the solution of the boil
weevIl problem, as tests show the cotton
tree to be immune from the attacks of this
pest. The recent official report of United
States Consular Agent Light of Guadala
jara. Mex, to the United States Agricul-
tural Department on the commercial posi-
bilities of the cotton tree. was not alto
gether favorable, his chief objection be ng
that the expense of picking the cotton from
the tree would be too great to make its
cultivation a practical success. Senior Cue
vas has answered this objection. He says:
There is no difficulty whatever in gath
ering the crop of the larger trees. The
larger the trees the greater will be the crop.
When the trees are half grown the higher
branches are pulled downward so that the
cotton can be easily picked; but when they
are full grown the branches are thick and
strong enough to allow a boy to climb the
tree and walk along the branches and so
gather the fruit.
Yield of the Tree.
an fertile ground and good climate. with
no frost, you may estimate that each tree
will yield from twenty to twenty-five
pounds, including the seed. When planted
SO as to be irrigated, say for instance in
June. this plant or tree will produce its
first crop of cotton in the month of January
next. To my mind there is no objection to
dwarfing the tree, as undoubtedly the lower
branches would yield better crop, and so
compensate the loss of the upper ones.
II have just seen the cotton tree growing
very fine on the rancho La Cofradia, near
the town of Tuxueca, state of Jalsco. me
ground consists entirely of rocks and sand,
covered with a vegetable subSoil of only
few inches in depth.
Senior Cuevas says that the cotton trees
can be planted at a distance of about ten
feet apart More than four hundred trees
to the acre can be cultivated, and at an
average yield of twenty pounds of cotton
each the yield per acre would be elght
thousand pounds. or sixteen bales. This is
said to be a conservative estimate OF the
average yield. Continuing, Senior Cuevas
says in his Re port:
1.-The expense of planting the cotton is no
greater than the expense of planting corn.
The cotton tree is able to withstand
droughts during eight months of the year.
Il is not attacked by the boil weevll the
great enemy of the ordinary cotton plant
which causes so much damage among the
cotton plantations in the northern portion
of the republic.
ut is planted once in from twenty-five to
thirty wears A short time ago tree was
cut down on account of its being in the
way It was planted in the time of Maxi
milan; II never failed in its production. nor
was 1t attacked by any insect or suieieu
any other accident.
Planting the Seeds.
1.-The seed is planted at the beginning of
the rainy season; at four months oid IL ID
about four feet high and begins to blossom
and at the age of two vars 1t Is about ten
feet high and the harvest then begins to
be remunerative. During the rigors OF 'he
dry season its foliage is always deep green,
where grown in very dry lands; If the iands
were irrigated and the necessary cdie
taken, the crop obtained would be cohsioea
ably increased. Completely abandoned
without irrigation or cultivation. ana Will
out any care whatever, l know or trees
that produce fifteen pounds. not taking INTO
account the losses from the blrds or "ha'
Is carried away by the wind
III planted in fertile soil ana tne Propei
distance apart at the end of the thlrd year.
and sometimes before, the shade OF the Tree
covers the ground preventing the GROUND
from becoming Dry anu Pti Siieu' "iiN
wise preventing too abundant grown vi
weeds that would otherwise spring up, saw
ing the expense of keeping the fields clean
from weeds and grasses
"There are four varieties of the cotton
tree grown in the state of Jalisco. one va
riety grows two crops per annum; the hrst
cron begins to mature in October and is
harvested in December the other blossoms
In the spring and is harvested IN May OF
June"
The variety which produces two crops per
wear has been known to yield 10000 pounds
of cotton for the two crops per acre. rms
is equivalent to forty bales.
Cost of Harvesting.
Senior Cuevas says that the expense OF
harvesting the crop is only about cent per
pound.
THE seed of the cotton tree should be
planted deeper than the ordinary cotton
seed" Senior Cuevas continues. The lands
can be plowed up as in planted ordinary
cotton. but usually the rows are listed
with the ordinary cross-furrow. Cultivating
the young trees in the ordinary manner,
If planted at the beginning of the rainy sea-
SON YOU will have by october a tree three
to four feet high. At the end of the third
year you will have a forest that Will COM
pletely shade the ground.
In view of the fact that the staple of the
cotton tree is equal to the staple of the ordi-
nary cotton, and the expense of planting,
cultivation and care of the tree Is much less
than that of the ordinary annual cotton
plant while up to this date no enemies have
appeared, and as the worlds supply of cot
ton is not equal to the demand, 1T would
.lv.t 1I,a