El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-07-03

4 RIZONA Is preparing to harvest another wonderful
a cotton crop The growth of that state cotton
- producer has been Of the great surprises of
southwestern development. Arizona viii receive
millions from cotton this year than most people
qusnted with the magnitude Of cotton growing IN that
The department of agriculture has just published its
estimate Of the 1917 cotton crop throughout the country
bang its calculations on reports received from the states
as Of June 3
year 1163so00 bales averaging 500 pounds TO tne oa
The acreage In cotton is 345OooOO The estimate shows
that the country is falling considerably short Of the
record breaking cotton crop which was hoped 1or TINS
year IN view Of the extraordinary demands, domestic and
IN The table Of acreage by states Arizona lags down
at the tail end Of the list, with 5000 In most
Of the southern states cotton aceages given IN nil
Eons Texas for instance, reports $4,000 acres in
cultivation and that is acreage the extent Of which
proves the desire Of Texas to cooperate loyalty In the
production of a bumper crop If possible
But though Arzona's acreage Is very small by COM
srson with that Of the large cotton producing states, the
difference In from the sale of the crop VIII not
be pronounced.
N the United States with the total acreage shows the
crop viii average about One-thTd Of 500 pound bale
per But AIZonas yield Of cotton averages oale
to bale and half per acre, making the yield from twice
three times great per acre as that OF the most OF
the states Or putting another way Arzonas cotton
product from $4,000 acres viii equal that from $4,000
to $4,000 N other states
he price difference is as great Spot cotton is
little above cents while futures range little above
Is for the short staple product the kind generally
grown
long staple cotton for which the pTe about 5 cents
OF about double the price of the short staple Even at 50
cents the gross per viii vary from 500 10
ss75 At $3.50 the crop VIII be worth 81 25ooOo which
Is than many southern state, with vastly larger
acreage smaller yield Of inferior COTTON viii receive
What makes the difference In favor Of Arizona! The
Kind Of cotton thing and the extraordinary prce
il commands for another Other factors are the uch
soil Of the cotton producing In Arizona the even
climate the absence Of Of the most harmful pests
known to the southern states and dnnutlon OF crop
Because Of too rain little moisture to produce
large, healthy plants.
The Arizona cotton is al embraced under the
Roosevelt irrigation project The supply Of water IS con-
tnuous and adequate There is always enough moisture
for the plants but there is too much II is the fault
Of the grower for using too much water In the ian OF
1915 the cotton plants Of west Texas viewed nom
Texas Pacific train, seemed about 10 inches high on
the average They not very vigorous In appearance
Il was explained that the rainfall had not been sufcen
In Arizona the time the cotton plants reached
the shoulders Of average height They seemed
more ike young trees thickly planted as In nursery
than cotton plants and they certainly we're loaded with
cotton
The land under the Elephant Butte dam is producing
some good crops and VIII produce greater Perhaps long
STABLE cotton may eventually be adapted to this climate
There Is no knowing until the experiment Is tried Eight
OF nine years ago growing cotton IN Arizona
and the first paintings made experiments, with
7usuv rsgivngs There is this to be said for farming
in one Of these reclamation projects There would be no
reclamation project If soil and climate were lot favorable