The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-06-02
HiNDi COTTON A BIG BURDEN
Undesirable Type of Staple, With
Short, Weak Fiber, That Injuries
High-Grade Egyptian.

That the requirements of the cot
ton-goods industry necessitates the i'm
portation Of approximately 100000
pounds of Egyptian cotton, costing
$16,000,000, is probably unknown to
the majority Of readers, who read of
the enormous crops Of cotton pro-
duced in our southern states and learn
that during the last seven months all
records have been broken and prac.
ticallye 100000. 600 Wbrth Of that sta
pie has been exported.
But 1t was the considerable value
OF this import that induced the Unit
ed States department Of agriculture
several years ago to endeavor to de-
velop Egyptian cotton culture in the
United States in order to supply our
own market with homegrown prod
net.
Although experiments were made
ut different points from South Caro-
lima to Texas. as well as In western
Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and
southern California. 1t was only in the
Colorado river region that climatic
and other conditions similar to those
In the Nile valley and suited to the
long staple Egyptian cotton were
found. There 100000 acres Of excel.
lent land are. or soon will be. under
ditch In the Imperial. Yuma, Salt and
ella valleys, and one-fifth this acreage
could produce the amount Of Egyptian
cotton annually imported for the use
Of New England mills.
For several years studies and ex
periments with the various Egyptian
varieties have been undertaken In
southern Arizona. southeastern Call
fornia and Egypt and several bulle
tins have been issued giving detailed
reports Of the progress made and sue
cess achieved
Just now the department has ISSUED
another pamphlet bulletin 21o, Blu
reau Of Plant Industry, reporting tn,
results Of visit to the cotton.growin,
districts Of Egypt in June and July
1910. Of the Economist Of the depart
ment, in which is shown that tn,
mixture OF Hindi cotton is provint
to be serious burden upon the Egyp
tian cotton industry. Hindi Is tn,
name applied In Egypt to an undesir
able type Of cotton with a short, veal
fiber, that Injuries the high grad
Egyptian varieties by infesting then
with hybrids. The Introduction Of tn.
Egyptian cotton into the Unite,
States brings also the problem Of tn
Hindu cotton, and the practicability Q
estah"-Ning q commercial culture Q
the Egyptian cotton In the Unite
States depends largely upon the elm
nation Of Hindi contamination an
other forms Of diversity, SO that tn
fiber may be produced In satisfat
tory condition Of uniformity.
Breeding experiments have show
that it il possible to secure niue
higher degree Of uniformity in Ar
IONA than now exists In most Of til
cotton fields Of Egypt. If REASONABLE
care be used In maintaining the un
formity Of these types, 1t does NJ
seem that the American-grown Egyl
tan cotton Is likely to suffer any cor
mercial disadvantage on the ground {
lack Of uniformity, even though th
Egyptian habit Of handspring Is NJ
followed.
The exclusion Of the Hindi cotto
by an efficient system Of selection ".
enable white varieties to be grow
producing longer and stronger fibs
than the brown varieties are likely
afford. and viii further the develo
ment and preservation q unifor1
strains Of Egyptian cotton IN the Un'
ed States.