The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-12-29
COMMUNITY GROWS
COTTON IN WEST
CONTINUOUS CROP PRODUCTION
IS PROBLEM NOW FACING
GROWERS.

Washington, d. c.. Dec. 29.-Stabili
cation, or the continuous production OF
q crop with a fixed high quality OF
fiber, is the great problem now con
fronting many sections of the cotton
belt, says new publication of the
United States Department of Agricul
Iture.
i From the Imperial Valley, Cali.
fornia. no other variety of long-staple
upland cotton has been found as suit
able as the Durango. This variety
which produces fiber from / 3-16
inches in length, yields as we'll as
short-staple varieties, but brings bet
| ter net returns. To realize the full
possibilities in the industry, however,
community action is essential. 1t re-
quires community action to insure an
adequate supply of pure seed, to turn
out from the gin a smooth sample
without defects and to establish a rep
| utation for consistently high quality
of cotton.
These factors have been realized
| in the Imperial Valley and the bulletin
points out the extent to which the
development Of the industry has been
favored by the organization of the
Imperial Valley Long-staple Cotton
Growers Association
The grower, however, can not alone
effect the sterilization of the cotton
industry in any one community. He
must be assisted by all the other in
terests which share in the benefits of
stabilization-the banker, the mer-
chant, the ginner. the buyer, and the
cotton manufacturer. The ginner is
interested because he must have some
assurances that he will have sufficient
cotton to gin to pay him a dividend
upon his investment. He will not
have this unless cotton raising is made
profitable to the growers. The gin
ner's success is dependent upon the
success of the grower, and for him to
see that the full value of the fiber is
preserved in the ginned bale is an
economical form of insurance.
To the banker, cotton on a stan
dardized basis with one variety grown
exclusively means the best there is
financially in the cotton, industry for
the community. Durango cotton grown |
from pure seed provides an exception
ally good basis for crop loans. fact |
which has already been proved in the
history Of cooperative associations in
the Imperial Valley. The raising Of
cotton of unknown or inferior quality
represents waste to the grower I'M
necessary risk to the banker. In the
past manufacturers have urged an ex-
tension of long-staple cotton produc-
ton in order to insure for themselves
q steady supply of raw material, but
they have not taken any substantial
and permanent measures to make the
production of long-staple cotton prof
table to the producer.
From the growers point of view,
he production of marketable cotton
If superior quality is the mos. effec-
i've step he can make toward stabil- ]
cation. In the Imperial Valley a SIM /
pie formula for him to follow is:
plant good seed of the Durango va
iety. produce bale or more per acre $
md pick it carefully The produc- :
ion of bale or more per acre can
My be accomplished by the applica-
ion of the best agricultural practices.
he most important of these are listed
S follows:
az Thorough leveling of the land,
o that water can be applied uni
ormly
90 The maintenance of proper
18th conditions in the soil. This in
ludes irrigation previous to planting,
D get the soil into good moist, plant
lg condition.
CD The use of pure Durango seed.
(D Careful preparation of the seed
ed
(5) Planting not later than early
lay.
Co Securing and maintaining a
Ill stand of plants.
ca Thinning the plants by the
method when the plants
re s to 10 inches high and leaving
lem to 10 inches apart in the row.
his method has been found to i'm
rease the earliness and the yield.
CD Infrequent early irrigation, to
uard against the over luxuriance of
egetative growth and to establish
eep roofing.
90 Thorough and careful irriga-
on after Towering begins, to insure
le normal growth of the plant and
oils and the steady setting of fruit.
f10) Continued shallow cultivation,
flowing each irritation. as long as IL