The Parker post., 1913-01-11
LONG STAPLE COTTON.


the long staple varieties of cotton
can be grown successfully and with
much greater profit than short staple
cottons in the valleys of the Lower
Colorado.
The growing of long staple varieti-
es, principally Durango, has passed
the experimental stage in the Imperi-
al country and growers are prepar-
ing to plont every available pound of
seed during the next season.
Dispatches from different points
in the valley where the new varieti-
es have been tried follow: The I'M
perial Valley Press says:
while the cotton is still coming
in from the fields, plans are being
made for far more extensive plant
ings during the coming season, and
the acreage is expected to rise to
10000 while this year it is but 5000.
"The occasion for this is the great
success being won with the Durango
medium staple cotton, from which
the growers are getting gross yields
of from SIS to $3.50 an acre, accord
ing to present quotations for the cot
ton. For a field crop, this is SO far
in advance of most cultures that it
is arousing great interest, and many
farmers who did not grow cotton this
season are planning on doing so
next year.
1.-The limit on production is simp-
ly the quantity of seed available,
most of the Durango cotton in the
United States being that in thi;;
valley, all of the seed of which has
been carefully preserved.
THE directors of the Imperial Val
ley Cotton Growers exchange held
another meeting Saturday evening to
discuss the coming crop and plan for
the seasons business The members
feel that the industry is destined to
rise rapidly into not only one of the
big things for the valley but into one
of the states greatest industries,
and they feel that on their direction
at the present time devolves great re-
sponsibility
'.While there is limit on the seed
available for planting this year, by
another season there will be enough
for truly great acreage, and if the
value of the produce remains some
where near that of the present there
is no telling where the acreage may
run in this valley, while the culture
will probably be tried out elsewhere
'The yield of cotton this year is
very much greater than in previous
years, the growers having become
more familiar with the requirements
of the crop under local conditions
and it is believed that the time is
near at hand when the average yield
will run fully to a bale to the acre,
while even now there are individual!
fields which run to double that out
put.
with an average production of
500 worth OF cotton to the acre.
which now seems probable, and net
revenue of about sos an acre, the
land in this irrigation district could
rise to production of $4,000, 900 worth
of the staple. with net gain annually
of $32, 800, 900.
"The Press has never gone crazy
over cotton. 1t does not believe that
it will become other than one of a
series of great crops. But at one
times it was doubtful if it would do
that. The Durango cotton is respon-
sible for having revived interest and
made possible good returns. -
The production of cotton in the
Imperial valley was started about
four years ago, and rapidly passed
out of the experimental stage. This
year there are $500 acres in cotton.
and the yield will be about 1900 bales
of which 5000 bales have been ginned
up today. There will be about 800
bales of long staple cotton produced
in the valley this year, the rest in
short staple The long staple variety,
however, has proved its superiority
to the short staple so plainly, that
much greater acreage will be plant
ed with this variety next year.
G. E. Gage of the firm of DAILY
Bros. & Gage stated today that their
firm has contracted for six tons of
special hand selected long-staple
seed, which will be used on various
ranches in the valley during the
coming season. Mr. Gage also said
that the average per acre had been
higher this year than ever before i'm
the valley in some cases more than
a bale and half to the acre being
produced.