Imperial Valley press., 1913-03-28
DURANGO COTTON IN
THE IMPERIAL VALLEY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE THREE !
none of the other varieties fell below
81 and the Durango gave more than
80. With respect to the size of the
bolls the Allen cotton has little or no
advantage over the Egyptian varieties
and is also less productive. If the
Peeler cottons were the only upland
long staple type available there would
be no prospect Of est establishing iniai .I1 long
for planters would continue with short
staple cottons or go over to the Egyp-
tian. Either of these alternatives would
be more promising than the growing
of the Peeler varieties.
Durango Cotton Compared With the
Egyptian-On account of the present
scarcity of upland long staple cotton
the Durango cotton enjoys some
what artificial and perhaps temporary
market advantage over the Egyptian.
The scarcity Of long staple upland cot
ton is due largely to the fact that the
with the growing of the Peeler vari-
eties in the former centers of produc-
ton in Mississippi and Louisiana:
Short staple varieties have replaced
efforts are now being made to go
back to the cultivation of long staples
or the basis of the new early varieties
like the Columbia. Foster and Du-
ing made good by the planting of Co
lumbia and other early long staple va
rieties in the Piedmont region of the
South Atlantic states, but it may be
several years before an adequate sup
ply Of long staple can be developed in
this region.
Although the relative desira bility of
the Durango or of Egyptian cotton for
the Imperial valley and other irrigated
regions of the Southwest is likely to
fluctuate with the state of the market,
growing communities to make frequent
changes from one type of cotton to the
other. To learn the methods of grow
ing, selecting. handling and marketing
either type to the best advantage is
likely TO require several years, SO that
change from "ne to the other must
be very expensive operation. Scare
ity Of labor and the higher cost Of
stand seriously in the way of develop
ing community production of the
Egyptian cotton in the Imperial valley
and make it appear preferable to
individual farmer may not agree with
his neighbors regarding the variety or
type of cotton that should be grown.
he is likely to gain more by growing
the community variety than by pro-
ducing small quantity of some other
kind of cotton that he is unable to
sell TO advantage.
Special Characters of Durango Cot
ton-1n addition to the features to
which reference has been made in the
preceding paragraphs. several other
characteristics of Durango cotton are
worthy of mention.
One of the most peculiar characters
is shown in the seedlings. In most
other kinds of cotton the seedlings pro-
duce at least two or three simple oval
leaves before beginning to develop
leaves of the usual lobed form of the
adult plant. But in Durango cotton a
large proportion of the seedlings have
1nh ha tn1H l.
first leaf above the seed leaves. This
character might be of use in deter
mining early in the season whethe er
any planting of Durango cotton is
pure. The only other variety that mas
been found to have any considerable
proportion of the first leaves lobed is
the Allen.
In Durango cotton the tendency to
than in most other varieties, and it
can be reduced still further by leaving g
the plants close together in the rows.
Earlier crops and larger yields have
usual method of thinning the plants
early TO two feet or upward Some of
the best yields have been obtain ed
from plants only SIX or eight inch es
another popularity of Durango cot
ton is the unusually small size of the
involucral bracts. The difference in
this respect between the Durango and
varieties is very striking. The smaller
DractS of the Durango cotton are a
distinct advantage from the standpoint
OF clean picking, for the ends of the
dry bracts are not so likely to be
broken off and gathered with the fiber
fragments of the involucral bracts
furnish large part of the trash" that
goes TO the gin with the cotton and
lowers the grade Of the bale
The following formal description of
the Durango variety has been supplied
in connection with the congressional
seed distributions:
PLANT of upright habit with a strong
central stalk and rather stiff ascend
ing vegetative branches. Fruiting
branches of moderate length or rather
hort, under some conditions becoming
semicluster: Foliage rather deep
green, reddening early in the. season.
Leaves of medium size, usually with
five or seven rather narrow tapering
less frequent than in most other vari-
tties of upland cotton. Involucral
bracts with rather small, triangular
cordate bracts, margined with rather
short teeth. CalyX lobes irregular in
length, sometimes very long and sIen-
der. Bolls of medium or rather large
size; under favorable conditions about
so to the pound. Shape of bOlls comic
1N with nearly smooth surface, the
~! Glands deeply buried. The proper
.lon of overlooked bolls varies usually
from 40 to so per cent. Seeds of me-
iium size, covered with white fuzz and
uniform abundant lint about 4 inches
ong under favorable conditions"
The Pure Seed Problem-As uniform
ty is a prime requisite with long staple
porous long staple industry can be
built up in the Imperial valley or else
where unless provision is made for
maintaining the purity of the variety