Arizona republican., 1912-10-03
COTTON FINDS
 NATURAL HOME
This Years Work Leaves No Doubt of the Success of Egyptian Cotton Grow ing in the Salt River Val ley

pl plplIldple CIOpS, beside Delng an d0 vantageous one in other ways, is now assured. Cotton growing in this val ley has been much more extensive than is generally known. The crop of the present season has proved the adaptability of it and then the only thing remaining was whether it would be possible to secure exper- fenced pickers to save the crop. To the man who does not know much about the cotton business that would seem to be minor matter. But the pickers have been found.
 Experiments in the growth of Egyp- tian cotton were begun on a govern ment experimental station at Saca- ton five years ago. This station was established jointly by the department of agriculture and the Indian bureau. The operations were confined to five acres and were under the direction of E. W. Hudson, an expert in cotton growing
 One Indian last year raised on one acre cotton of the value of S130. It cost him $40 for picking and $15 for cultivation. For a larger area this latter cost might be reduced to $10 an acre. With proper cultivation every acre of land in the valley may be made to produce as much.
 MT Hudson lent some assistance to the growers about Mesa where the first picking is now going on Ever since the beginning of the Sacaton experiment, the crop has been sold pany for the best thread is made
 
 used also in automobile tires and wherever strong castings are required, also for mixing with silk and in mer- cerized goods.
 The quotation for JannOvitch for September A was s25.32 per hundred The grade Nit Afifi which was planted in the beginning at the ex- pertinent station has been brought to the grade Jannovitch by cultiva- tion and will now bring the highest price.
 The prices obtained by Sacaton for the last three years have been as 1911, 2S cents; 1910. 2S cents; 1909, 20B cents. Figures for upland or short staple cotton for the same years have been respectively as follows: fl to 15 cents, 10 to 12 cents and to cents. About as much Egyptian cotton as upland can be raised to the acre.
 There are about 500 acres of Egyp- | ton cotton in this and the Gila val | eys Most of this is on the south | side though Herbert Atha north of | Glendale has 200 acres and it is said | hat he is the largest individual | grower of Egyptian cotton in the United States There are eight acres tt the Phoenix Indian school in two racts.
 There is an advantage to the all alfa grower in rotating from alfalfa to otton In the course of five years he average alfalfa field becomes pretty dirty with bermuda, Johnson -rass or weeds. A crop of cotton caves the ground absolutely clean or it must be kept clean if the crop 8 to be a success.
 Cotton does not make a heavy l raft on the ground. The eXperi- nents at Sacaton have been conduct d on the same land for five years nd the crop this year is better than my of it's predecessors. That is not egarded as the result of any plant l ood being added to the soil by the otton but as the result of better how to grow the textile
 One requirement. is that the land I 1ust be nearly level with so slight
 grade that the irrigating water will | un very slowly and in such case, little water is required i nuch less than for the irrigation or lfalfa. If the grade is steep so that he water must be run in great vol me the field will be likely to be rowned out at the bottom and the op of the grade while the middle art will be dried out.
 But cotton growing is not so easy s alfalfa growing. The grower can ot attend to it from a position on treet corner, talking politics the ybile; nor can he spend the growing aason in California He must be n the job or see that somebody else ; There is no other crop that will espond to good culture like Egyptian otton and there is no other that is , likely to fail through neglect.
 Cotton growing opens a new field industry for labor in this valley. me woman near Mesa the other day icked 119 pounds in a day of seven ours. earning $40. Other pickers anged from 100 pounds to 1lo ounds. Some of the pickers had had xperience in the south but that did ot give them a great advantage yer the raw pickers for their work ad been done in upland cotton which
 usually very dirty. Egyptian cot ,n must be picked clean. There IS
 ginning plant at Mesa for the andling of Egyptian cotton which ,ouires special machinery. MT. Atha as a plant of his own.
 The Mesa Egyptian Cotton com any with a capital stock of SlOO,0oo as organized last year for the pur- ose of erecting a ginning plant oil ill and for handling the cotton. The ,embers of the company are Mesa 1siness men though a part Of the ock was taken in Phoenix. Enough onev was paid in for the immediate neds of the company, the subscrlp- -s saving that they were Willing to six their money on what might nave cen looked upon as an experiment.. It is now likely that other stock