Imperial Valley press., 1908-09-26

Cotton staple crop for Imperial Valley will doubtless be the result of a movement which has been fos- tered by the El Centro Ten Thous- and Club, and which mas been heart. fly received by the most progressive ranchers in the valley.
 Preliminary steps have been taken which point to the erection of a cotton gin and compl ess in El Centro within the next year, in time to handle the cotton matured from next spring planting. That a considerable acre. age will Q seeded is certainty. Probably this will exceed 2000 acres.
 Today this movement is to be still further advahced by a meeting of prospective cotton growers. This afternoon in the school house at El Centro, and all persons interested in the growing of cotton on commercial scale are to meet to form the Imper- ial Valley Cotton Growers Associa- tion and to pledge acreage, so that capitalists may feel safe in erecting a gin and compress at El CentrO
 Last Monday night the meeting of the Ten Thousand Club was turned over to the prospective cotton men, and the general discussion brought forth mucn information as to what has already been accomplished in the Valley in this line.
 Imperial Valley numbers among it's citizens many Texans who have had experience in cotton raising, and they are already enthusiastic over the pros poets of this rich valley becoming noted for it's cotton crops. Several of these men spoke at Monday even ing's meeting.
 Charles Stevens gave an interest ing description of the cotton industry in Texas, and the handling of by-pro- ducts, and declared that from his ob- servations in Imperial Valley he had become convinced that we have ad- vantages nere for this crop not to be eXcelled in any part of the United States.
 Ira Aten, who has been raising cot ten on his ranch north of Fl Centro for the past three years, summed up the advantages in this valley over any cotton country he had seen-freedom from great storms, the possibilities for late planting; the ma turing of the crop so that it may be picked during the cold fall months, and immunity from insect pests.
 Mir. Aten believes that cotton is of as much value to the land as is al falfa, and that every acre in Imperial Valley seeded to cotton will be better at the end of the season than when the seed is planted. Alkali does not seem to hurt the cotton plant, says MT. Aten, and he believes that where ever alfalfa will grow in this valley, there also will be found soil suitable for cotton planting. As to labor con- ditiOnS, he argued that if Imperial Val ley ranchers are able to secure an abundance of cantaloupe picking dur ing July and August, there need be no worry about securing needed help for the cotton fields during October, No vember ana December, when weath- CT conditions are ideal.
 Mr. Aten also brought out the point that cotton growing here would be a great incentive to the expansion of the dairy business, as the cotton seed makes a valuable feed for cattle, causing an increase in the flow of milk. and being of advantage as a mixed ration for fattening.
 When you get eight cents per pound for your cotton, you can well afford to raise it." says MT. Aten. ]. A. Bachman, for many years in terested in cotton raising and cotton ginning in Texas, gave practical talk in which he stated that Imperial Val ley is the greatest cotton country he had ever seen, and that there is no valid reason why cotton should not at once become one of the valleys staple crops.
 Mir. Bachman estimates that picking will cost $l0 per bale, and that cot ton stalks which carry thirty bolls will make a bale to the acre. The hot ter the weather the faster grows the cotton says MT. Bacnman. Fl believes that a large amount of Imperial Valley product would be shipped to Japan.
 c. H. Bradford was another enthu- siastic supporter of the proposition that Imperial Valley is an ideal cot ton country. He asserted that on one plant he had counted 160 matured bolls, and hat cotton would prove a staple crop from which money would always ? forthcoming.
 Mir. Boyce told of his investigation here, wherein he found that valley cotCcn has less seeds and is more pro life than the cotton of the South with which he had been familiar He con demned Egyptian cotton,