The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-01-06
CHAMPION COTTON GROWER
Raised Prize Winning Crop on Irrlgs
ted Desert Land

New York, Jan. 6-Howard s. Reed
champion cotton grower of the Uni
ted States, recently came to town to
receive the $1,000 silver loving cup
awarded to him at the American
Land & Irrigation Exposition in Mad
ison Square Garden few weeks ago
The cup was offered by Colonel Rob
ert NJ Thompson as a prize for the
planter who would produce the best
cotton and the largest quantity per
acre. Mr.. Reed grew IL bales OF fin
est long staple upland cotton on one
acre of land. No one else could
match his for both quality and size
of yield. Perhaps the most remark
able part of the feat is that this cot
ron was not grown in the cotton belt
at all. but in Southern California on
land which does not get any rainfall
the wear around. The ranch is locat-
ed in the famous Imperial valley,
which ten years ago was desert
as devoid of life as the great Death
Valley. From a barren waste 1t has
Seen transformed into a garden spot
by means of 700 miles of irrigation
The Imperial Valley is a basin com
prising 100000 acres of land lying
below the sea level At one time, ge-
ologists say it was the mouth OF the
Colorado River. Alluvial deposits
scores of feet thick left there before
the river was diverted to another
course have given the valley the rich
est soil in the United States. some
wears ago Secretary Wilson OF the
United States Agricultural Depart
| ment, learning of the wonderful Gil
mate and soil there, began to con
duct experiments in cotton culture.
Private individuals also undertook to
raise the plant, put in about 1000 ac-
res of upland cotton three years ago
and built one gin. Now 10000 acres
are devoted to cotton; there are -FOUR
gins. while the crop this year Is es-
timated at $4,000 bales, or an aver
age of ~ bales to the acre which
is three times the proportion In the
South. where the production is the
largest ever.
Government experts pronounce the
soil and climate of the Imperial val
ley virtually Identical with that OF
the Nile Valley. In one important re-
spect II is superior because II does
no have fog. something said to be ire
ouent in the Nile Valley. On &C
count of similarity of soil and elm
ate. experiments have been conduct
ed by the government with view 10
determining whether the California
planters could not raise Egyptian cot
ton with success. The United States
imports annually sl5,000,OOO worth OF
such cotton. Its long staple, SILKY
gloss and fine texture, as well as the
toughness of its fibre, make II
necessity in spinning goods Of certain
grades Secretary Wilson's idea Is
that the United States should grow
on its own soil all OF he Egyptian
cotton its mills need. AS 1t brings
, about double the price of upland cot
ton, the Imperial Valley planters
would be entirely willing to leave to
the South its native crop and develop
the foreign variety on their ranches.
Work in the experimental station
of the agricultural department has
proved that Egyptian cotton can be
made a commercial success in Cali
fornia: that the soil will produce "
bales to the acre and that the quality
: stands every test of the finest prod
, uct of the Nile valley These impor-
tant facts, admitted by Secretary VIII
} son, are OF the highest import, not
only to the California growers, but
to the American spinner. who in a
few years will be able to buy. right
in the United States. all the Egyptian
cotton he needs. II the prediction of
Secretary Wilson are realized. Gov
eminent officials and Southern cot
ton men with whom Mr.. Reed has dis
cussed the question believe that the
, Imperial Valley planters should here
after devote themselves exclusively
! to the cultivation of Egyptian varie-
ties. Mr.. Reed has grown Miti-affii
(Egyptian) cotton with great success
on small scale. The wonderful
, strength of the fibre and its silky
gloss are attributed to the absence OF
, moisture in the atmosphere.
Besides the fact that Egyptian cot
ton is worth twice as much as the
upland, the farmers of the Imperial
Valley have no rains or winter storms
to contend with and no frosts 10
blight the top crop They can pick
: cotton all through the winter The
plant grows to remarkable height
Mr. Reed has photographs OF plants
grown on his ranch, ten feet high
Cost OF cultivation is Just about the
l same as in the South with the excep
ton OF labor. which is more expen
sive California farmers employ Jap
: anese coolies to a considerable ex
: tent. The boll.weevil is menace
which California fights with rigid
quarantine laws No cotton seed
grown in boll-weevil sections is per
, mitted within borders, Southern cot
ton experts say the boll-weevll has
made II necessary to grow quickly
maturing and therefore shortersta.
pie cotton in the South What IL
> needed particularly Is the exploita
ton of a region free from this pest
where the long staple cotton can be
grown. This, they say. has beer
found in the Imperial Valley.
Howard $. Reed. who has won such
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