Imperial Valley press., 1912-09-19
STOOOARD JESS TELLS
OF COTTON OUTLOOK

Los Angeles Examiner: Cotton crops
of the Imperial valley are to be fl
nanced this year by the First National
Bank of Los Angeles. Stoddard Jess.
| vice president of that bank and presi-
dent of the Los Angeles clearing house,
has arranged for lending the growers
$35 on each bale.
As result of his visit there, M.
Jess has become enthused with the
possibilities of the cotton industry in
' the Imperial valley.
( 81 spent a day last week in the I'M
perial valley in and about Ell Centre,
Holtville and Imperial. looking into the
condition of the cotton industry" said
Mr.. Jess, when asked about conditions
there.
while in a way, the growing of cot
ton in the Imperial valley is still in
an experimental stage, particularly In
the endeavor to ascertain the varieties
best adapted for the conditions of soil
and climate, in another way the in
dustry has passed the experimental
line, for it has been demonstrated that
cotton can be successfully and pro-
fitably grown there in commercial
quantities.
This year the output will, from
bales. the yield ranging from some.
, thing less than a bale to two bales
per acre. Many fields visited give
promise of yielding one and one-half
and even two bales.
"The quality of the cotton is first
class. the fiber being of good length
and of good textile strength. The main
variety being raised is known as the
!, Texas short staple. Quite an acreage
Of Durango, known as American long
staple, a cotton raised extensively in
the state of Durango, Mexico, of quail
ty superior to the Texas short staple
and selling for one-half moro in the
! market. seems TO do remarkably well.
Conditions In the valley appear to
be particularly favorable for the
growth OF Egyptian long staple cotton,
the highest grade OF cotton raised
bringing double the price of ordinary
short staple in the markets and with
an unlimited demand
There are cotton gins located at FL
Centre, Imperial. Holtville, Calexico
and Brawley of sufficient capacity to
take care of the output. A corporation
| known the Imperial Valley OIL &
Cotton company, located in FL Centro
satisfactorily takes care of the cotto On
seed and converts II into oil.
Recently, the Imperial Valley Cotton
Growers Exchange, the membership of
which is composed of the growers in
| cotton in the valley, was formed to act
as a selling organization. In order to
n haS n Mt
it should be offered in large lots. This
can be accomplished through the or
ganization.
In order to meet the needs of the
growers and furnish them with funds
to pay the expense of picking and
marketing the cotton, on the part OF
the First National Bank of Los Angeles
entered into an arrangement with
the growers, through the association.
to advance money on warehouse re-
ceipts representing cotton in bale,
properly protected by insurance.
From present Indications the grow
| ing of cotton will become a prominent
| industry in the Imperial and Palo
Verde valleys, there being not less
| than half million acres Of land avail
able for the purpose"
Egyptian cotton, which has hereto
fore been raised only in Egypt, is being
grown this year with entire success in
Imperial valley. The success of this
years effort to produce this class of
cotton in the Imperial valley. it is be-
lieved. will open for that locality a
highly profitable industry.
George E. Howe of this city, who
| has planted ten acres this year to the
Egyptian cotton on his Imperial valley
| lands, declares the success of the pro-
| duct there Is highly satisfactory, and
that already the new kind of cotton has
| grown to a height far above his head.
The Egyptian cotton brings almost
double the prices of the ordinary cot
| ton, but it is much more expensive to
harvest, owing to the small size of the
bolls. This kind Of cotton is much
| longer than the ordinary cotton and is
| much stronger. Therefore it is used
| largely for making twine.
| Mr.. Howe, who has just returned
from a trip to his holdings in the I'm
| perial valley, is optimistic over the
possibilities of the valley.
THE cotton is looking fine" said Mr..
| Howe, II think we will have a splen-
uid crop TINS year, put the TABOR queS-
tion will bother US some. 1t is very
| hard to get cotton pickers. The Mexi-
cans are not much good for the work,
and the Indians do not like it as it
makes them stop too much The Hin
docs do fairly well. The American
negroes are the best pickers, but many
| growers do not like them.
I'VE are growing the Egyptian cot
ton in order to determine if it is much
more profitable than the ordinary cot
ton. Our crop for this year proves
that this cotton will flourish in the I'm
perial valley"