Arizona republican., 1917-06-11
Egyptian Cotton Brings Rich Harvest
Crop Proves, Golden Treasure of Mesa
g g
Here j. S. Sees Supply For All America

at the experiment station operated in
conjunction with the Pima Indian
school at Sacaton. near the Salt Riv-
er valley, Arizona, says the Phoenix
Chamber of Commerce in a report on
the situation.
The first year the methods used
in growing Upland cotton were used,
and from a field of $50 pounds of lint
to the acre, the cotton has been d.
veloped to a point where a bale, 500
pounds to the acre, is ordinary, and
500 to 700 pounds per acre is obtained
by most farmers. Seed selection and
changing and improving methods of
cultivation have accomplished this
splendid result.
Farmers that produced 250 pounds
per acre eight years 20 have, during
the past season, produced 700 pounds
under general farm practice.
The problems thit are presented &c
the cotton grower are: cost to pro-
duce. soil and climate. labor and
markets. The cost of producing has
been estimated from actual instances,
and is about as follows:
Cost Per Acre
Farming operations to time of
picking Observation-Disclosures. $lo.0O
Seed Observation-Disclosures. 40
Picking. . cents per pound -. 50.40
Ginning ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1900
$3.50
An easy way 10 estimate cns- per
acre is to figure the lint cotton at
about II cents per pound to produce.
About 1900 pounds of seed cotton
are required to make 500 of lint.
Soil and Climate
s'Na baVa shown that this cotton
has made wonderful strides since il
was introduced eight or ten years ago,
and it is found that the several pc
culiar conditions needed for its proper
growth exist hardly anywhere else on
the globe outside of the Salt River
valley. OF course. Egypt raises this
type. but since the introduction % the
variety into Arizona the cotton has
improved to such a great extent it is
probable that when Egypt is again
ready to grow cotton, Arizona's lead
will be too far for Eovpt to catch up
~ Arizona cotton fields are practical
ly free from pests. Egypt. unfortun-
ately, is seriously troubled with the
pink cotton boil Weevil. and the dam
age each year is enormous, sometimes
amounting TO half the crop. Again. in
Egypt the special area that IS suited
for growing this cotton is small. and
land there sells for 500 acre
What chance has the grower in Egypt
when a better cotton can be grown
in Arizona on land at 5000 an acre
and the Arizona soil produces twice
as many pounds per acre? The de-
partment of agriculture states its
preference for the Salt River valley,
as the locality best suited, both as to
soil and climate. for the future source
e,F 81. e-frarN Ia cot =fll nj
United States.
Here again we are favored. In
different parts of Arizona are great
reservations where Indians in large
numbers make their homes. They are
peaceful. and in the majority are good
workers. They are inclined to agricul-
ture and to the raising of cattle. They
find the cotton picking to their liking.
They can camp in convenient places
and all the family can work. and they
do. These Indian tribes come when
Che cotton is ready for picking; they
leave as soon as the picking season
is over and in this way solve the
problem of labor in both ways, on
hand when there is q lot of work to
do and back on their reservation
farms or cattle ranches, when the
work is completed.
Market
There is indeed market for all
the cotton that the Salt River valley
can grow. 1t is pointed out by those
in authority that A reasonable acre
age is necessary to keep the markets
assured for the Arizona products. the
spinners like to know to certainty
that the necessary quantities can be
obtained The snecial cotton rennlres