Arizona republican., 1918-02-17

Large yields of uniformly long and strong fiber of Egyptian cotton can be obtained only by proper attention to the selection and preparation of the land and by careful cultivation and irrigation of the crop. It is also very important to manage the crop so that the bulk of it will ripen early. Cotton ripened in October or November is always superior to that ripened later. Growers of Egyptian cotton should prepare the land during the previous autumn, or at latest during the winter, so as to have it ready for planting early in the spring. Egyptian cotton is a long-season crop and should be planted early in March
 The object of this paper is to de- scribe methods of preparing the land and irrigating and cultivating the crop which have proved successful in the Salt River valleY.
 Selection of Land
 | Since it is very important that the l land be prepared as early as possible, | it is well for those who expect to plant cotton to have the matter in mind in | handling the land with the preceding crop.
 The question of what soil is best 1 adapted to cotton is often asked. Any | land that will grow good crops of alfalfa and grain will also grow good cotton. The heavier and more fertile soils as q rule will grow a smaller and more fruitful plant with shorter nodes, and hence more fruiting branches. While some raw desert land will make | good cotton, it has been demonstrated that land previously in alfalfa will produce better cotton, and the crop can be produced more economically. New land does not hold the water so well and as a rule requires more frequent Irrigation It is usually uneven, with spots of lighter soil here and there which have to be irrigated separately in order to keep the growth uniform. While-l1 some instances good yields of eXc<ent' fiber have been obtained on raw land, the best results are to be had On old land, especially if it has been previously in alfalfa
 A great deal of the land iHrthe Salt River valley of Arizona is infested with Bermuda and Johnson grasses. This fTfestation is worse on land that was under cultivation prior to the comple tion of the Roosevelt dam. The grow ing of a cultivated crop is the surest means of ridding the land of these troubleSome weeds. There are, con- servatively speaking, fully 10000 acres on the. south side, of the Salt River alone that would be greatly benefited by cropping with cotton. This is as good land for cotton as any in the valley. Most of it is level, and it has been made rich by crops of alfalfa.
 Slope of the Land
 Land that is nearly level will re- quire less water for the crop, can be lrrigatedamor evenly, and will produce more uniform cotton than land with a heavy slope. If there is much grade to the land it will be found that the fields dry out in spots during August and September, and in order to avoid injury to the cotton it will be neces sary to irriSate these spots separately thus causing much extra work. The best grade to be given will depend somewhat upon the character of the soil, "a sleeper grade being. possible ir light soils into which the water sinks readily than in heavy soils which will not become throughly wet unless the water stands for some time Where alfalfa land IS plowed up in order tc avoid injury to the cotton it will be necessary to irrigate these spots sep. arately, thus causing much extra work The best grade to be given will depend somewhat upon the character of tn, soil, sleeper grade being possible il light soils into which the water sink.
 readily than in heavy soils which vii
 not become throughly wet unless tn, water stands for some time. Wher,
 alfalfa land is plowed up in. order t, plant cotton it is often advisable t,
 irrigate the cotton in different direc htion from that used in irrigating tn, alfalfa, in order to secure a lighte grade.
 Early Preparation of the Land The fisrt stage in the preparation o the land depends upon it's condition
 whether weedy or clean, and upon tn nature of the preceding crop.
 In preparing land which is oyer- ru
 with Johnson grass for cotton, the bes plan is to blow about inches dee
 during August, allowing the soil t
 dry out thoroughly; then to disk an harrow thoroughly, dragging as man of the roots to the surface as possibl, A spring tooth harrow may be used t advantage in this work. During No vember or December the land shoul again be given a shallow blowing an