Imperial Valley press., 1913-04-28

anu moEe cers IN esultivatiou, harvest
ing, ginning and AAAdling are required
in producing cotAsn with lonx and unit
| form lint than merely for producing
short staple cotkons.
The most essential step In connec-
! tion with long staple cotton Industry
is tho establishment and maintenance
Of clean and select seed of the variety
'eterioration OF variety from failure
to select the seed or through careless
| ness in Keeping It free from mixture
with seed OF other varieties cannot be
overcome by cultural or other methods
The cotton industry Of the Imperial
! valley will be best served II proper
means arc taken during the season
81 1918 to insure supply Of select,
pure Durango seed for planting in
1914.
Clean Seed for Planting In 1914
| Mixed Seed Should Be Discarded
The great promise OF the Durango va
riety has led the cotton growers 10
plant this year all available seed.
though II Is known that a large pro-
| portion of II Is mixed or impure and
can De used only for a single season.
At least three -fourths Cor about $500
acres) OF the Durango cotton acreage
lin the Imperial valley in 1913 will be
planted to seed which was grown in
the valley In 1912. Unfortunately, this
SEED has been mixed and oss-pollin-
ated with short staple cotton. The
seed planted in 1912 was grown in the
valley in 1911 on clean land which
had been in alfalfa the preceding sea-
son, so that no mixture occurred In the
field. A small amount of mixed (pos-
sfbly or per cent? occurred in the
ginning OF the Durango seed in 1911.
The mixing probably took place in the
" TT
from the gin stands to the wagon.
The most serious mixture occurred In
the fields In 1912. A large part of the
Durango cotton was planted on land
which had been IN short staple cotton
In 1911, and the volunteering Of the
previous seasons variety caused an ac-
tual mixture OF short staple plants in
the Durango fields amounting to to
20 per cent. This has resulted not
only In an actual seed mixture In the
crop produced In 1912, but also, and
what lis even more serious, in the hy-
bridization OF the Durango with short
staple cotton. Either sort Of mixture
if allowed to persist, would prove dis
astrous to the new long staple indus
try. Seed mixture alone In stocks of
valley seed might be successfully over
come, but the cross pollination of the
Durango by short staple varieties is a
mixture practically impossible to Grad
icate. While some 81 tho valley Du-
range seed to be planted in 1919 con-
tains not more than per cent Of short
| staple seed. the hybridization which
has taken place makes II essential for
the eventual good Of cotton growing in
the Imperial valley that all mixed seed
30 sent to the Oil mill or some other
seed destroying agency this fall, so that
no stock of mixed Durango seed can
be planted in 1914.
49,.
contaminated Durango seed (enough
to plant about 700 acres) has been
secured from Texas for 1918 planting,
and small quantity was grown In
the Imperial valley under conditions
that warrant its purity. If handled
properly in 1913. the crop from this
seed will yield an abundance of clean
seed for all local needs in 1914.
Responsibility Of Planters of Clean
lSeed-Those who plant clean seed in
| 1918 should assume the responsibility
Of providing clean seed for planting in
1914. The practical bearing Of this re-
possibility of the Individual planter
Is In the fact that the establishment Of
q long staple industry depends largely
on the production Of large quantities
Of first class Durango eStton. The pro-
duction OF 10000 or 10000 hales Of
such cotton in 1914 and succeeding
iyears would mean much 10 the Imperial
valley. The man who. through care
lessness in 1913, allows clean seed
planted on so or 100 acres to become
mixed may cut down the production Of
first class Durango cotton In 1914 to
the extent of $500 to 5000 bales. II Is
herefore important that each grower
take 1t upon himself to keep his clean
Durango seed from becoming mixed
with other varieties.
Preservation Of Clean Seed
Clean Land.-In the first place. all
clean seed should be planted on clean
land. If planted on land cropped to
cotton in 1912 there Is every probability
that mixture will be occasioned by the
volunteering Of seed scattered from
the previous crop. Up to the present
there has arisen no necessity for the
eradication of volunteer cotton, so that
methods to this end have not vet been
devised. Tho condition Of cleanness of
fields On which TO plant pure Durango
seed should be absolute in order to
insure the desired end Of raising clean
Durango seed. A few volunteer plants
of another variety In the field, along
borders Or In fence corners, are as dan
gerous as a great number.
Isolation. - Further, paintings Of
clean Durango seed should be made in
fields isolated from paintings of other
varieties of cotton, in order to guard
against cross pollination Of the Du-
range by insects. If It proves i'm
practicable to isolate the field of clean
Durango by distance (of one-eighth of
mile or more), the precaution should
be taken to plant a wide strip $50 feet
or more) Of milo or of some other tall
growing crop between the Durango and
other cottonS.
Minor Details.-It would seem unne-
cessary to call attention to the danger
of mixing Durango seed with other
varieties at planting time, but ac-
quaintance with carelessness in the
small details OF cotton handling makes
1t apparent that warning should be
sounded against the possibility of mix
Ing In each operation connected with
the planting and growing Of the crop
This is important in cases where the
Durango and Mebane cotton are plant
ed on the same farm. Sacks contain
ing Durango seed should be marked
Durango" The handling of the seed
should not be intrusted to incompeten
hired help. who might not appreciate
the Importance of such details. The
planting machine should be thoroughly
cleaned of any seed which may have
become lodged while planting seed of
ianother variety.
/ Proper Tilth.-Instances have oc-
Cured in the planting of cotton In the
| imperial valley where replanting has
Been necessary because of poor tilth.
II would be a serious loss to the in
dustry if any of the clean seed were
20 fail to yield good stand through
lack Of thorough and special prepara-
ton Of the land. There Is q very lin
tied supply of clean Durango seed and
none with which to repiant.
Clean Conveyances-Speciai care to
prevent mixing must be exercised at
picking time as long as other varieties
of cotton are being harvested in prox-
unity to the Durango or even In the
same valley. Wagon racks in which
other cottons have been hauled should
be cleaned Of stray bits Of seed cotton
before loading Durango cotton. Cars
in which Durango seed cotton may be
transported to the gins should like
wise be properly cleaned. The identity
number and name) of the car In which
the clean Durango seed cotton is car