El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-03-23
CarbadBecomes Cotton Producing Center Acreage Growing Rapid
WeU Cement Factory
Another Gin For The
District; Ample Water
Power and Lights Furnished By Plant Operated By
1000 Gallon. Minute, Gave ely Its Name.
By GA. MARTIN.

ARLsBAD. \. n. famous for
decade for its fine alfalfa an
~ finer peaches. bids fair TO 5ecom
more famous as a center for tn
growth o. cotton
Last year the cotton crop OF thl
valley brought In ss5o.o0o 70 the com
munity, according TO figures furnished
by ". T. EcIlvain, secretary Of the
Carlsbad Commercial club.
Eighteen hundred baleE were pro
ducsd, averaging 1882 pounds to the
bale. and selling al an average Of 50
cents a pound. according to VIM. T.
Reed, editor and publisher OF the
Carlsbad Argus.
The variety or cotton grown IN the
Pecos valley about Carlsbad IS known
rs the Durango cotton. While not the
same variety as the Egyptian and
Pima cotton grown In the salt River
valley. It IS OF a finer grade than the
average short staple cotton. With
water assured. the farmers and land
owners believe that they could greatly
increase the production per acre.
Last year. due 10 al unfortunate
circumstance, there was a shortage OF
water at a time when &c was badly
needed. The water was turned out OF
Lake Avalon-one OF the two great
lakes Termed by dammIng the Pecos
river above the city-so that the head
gates could be painted and the usual
summer rains. expected az that time,
failed TO materialize, so much o. the
cotton went without water.
Cotton Acreage Increased.
This year steps have been taken not
20 permit 2 repetition OF the occur
renee and land owners believe there
wiz be ample water for every need OF
The season. notwithstanding that a
much greater acreage has been put in
rhis year. some OF it on new land and
some on reclaimed land that had been
waterlogged, but has been drained. A
large drainage ditch has been cut
through the valley below Carlsbad
and in several instances tile drains
have been sunk. an example first set
By the farmers IS miles north at Ros-
wen.
This year the acreage that VIII be
IN cotton. according 70 the estimate
OF lIr. aIcuvain. VIII total close TO
5000. or almost dol5Ie that OF last
year There are now four gins In
Carlsbad or the valley nearby. two Of
them having been erected last year. Z
and a Gf-h is TO be built this year.
Cotton the Prize Crop.
Cotton IS considered, so valuable /
that everybody is planting IL One
man. T. C.. Tracy, formerly one OF the /
largest growers OF peaches in the val 4
ley. cut oH- his entire orchard this
year 10 plant &c fin cotton-and he has
been noted for years as one OF the I
best uoneyuaIers IN the valley from
his peaches. and the orchard cost him
$4,000. However, cotton Is not the
sole and only crop Of the valley, as re-
turns from other farm products for
tle year indicate. There is still a
large acreage in Alfalfa from which
your and five cuttings a year are OBJ
tanned. and the total receipts for aEri-
cultural products in Eddy county, lasti
year were three and a quarter million
dollars.
Hope and Arlesia, two ether thriv-
Is towns In the county, boast consid-
cradle OF this business. but CARLSBAD
IS the county seat OF the county and
natural E its people take a pride in
their agricultural good fortune.
Plenty Of Water; Healthy, Too.
Water is the handspring Of the
prosperity Of Carlsbad Located upon
he banks OF the Pccos river. IL takes
IT'S name from the indicated springs