El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-04
LONG STAPLE COTTON WONDERFUL
IN ARIZONA; MAY BE SO HERE

THE most wonderful thing that happened for the
Salt River valley of Arizona the construction Of
\ the Roosevelt dam, the diversion dam at Granite
the system canals through the valley The
most wonderful thing was the discovery that long staple
would grow there It has enriched of farmers
and viii make some milionaires and more who viii be
hundreds OF thousands That sounds like exaggera
ton perhaps but is not Residents Of the Salt River val
ley who familiar with this wonderful industry
In the southwest but almost old history along
the Nile where the long staple ognated-know is true
The acreage has increased each In the four or five
years since beginning made IN the Salt River valley
growing long staple cotton and the yield per has
increased also methods Of cultivation improved
Also the price per pound has gone up from about p cents
pound to so and then to 20 and back down again to
about 60
From present indications the acreage this year will be
about 100000 and the basis Of present prices is est
mated that the 1918 crop will be worth about Sf5oooooo
allowing for failure tracts and for partial crops
Others due 70 improper cultivation The 1917 crop
not fully sold but the return to the farmers viii total ap
pIoxmatey 100000 planting Of about 35 900
Tbs future OF the cotton industry IN Arizona has been
made because the tire manufacturers and
makers Of automobile tops have discovered that long staple
cotton helps to make the finest fabrics their businesses de-
and One Of the largest of the tire companies gone
INTO agriculture II order to raise its cotton that it
nay be assured adequate supply. What this company
is doing makes great development story in itself.
The company has secured $4,000 acres of land in an
outlying part Of the Salt River valley where only about
5000 acres can be irrigated from the Roosevelt reservoir
The remainder must be irrigated from wells equipped with
power pumps The company now has 5000 acres Of the
tract producing cotton Of grade which its experts say has
equal IL the world.
In preparing the rest Of the tract for cotton growing
employed Fourteen
and 1900 mules leyeIng the land and constructing
bitches and blowing It is planned to establish two model
the property, complete and modern IN every
spect The company has announced that each town will
have dwelling houses for employees, cubhouses, hospital
warehouses; garages, machine Shops general Offices store
buildings and church These towns will be important
addition 70 the Salt River valley which already contains
besides Phoenix the of Mesa Tempe Chandler, Toll
IesOn, Ahambra Glendale Peoria, Arlington and Buckeye
There IS probability that cotton growing
VII be greatly expanded through bringing under cultiVa
the Paradise valley which lies north Of the Salt River
valley and is separated it by the Phoenix mountains
Prom 10000 100000 to be irrigated from the
Verde river By means Of dam ana canals to be financed
By bond issue Of about 100000. This land is fer
tile and the soil deep any farmer would wish and al
most as level floor it proves suitable for cotton,
the Paradise valley viii offer great field for eneprsng
farmers
VIII be worth while for local farmers to look into
the possibilities Of Egyptian cotton Perhaps it cannot be
grown under the Elephant Butte project The climatic
conditions practically the those Of the Salt
River valley but perhaps soil conditions not suitable
And then again. perhaps they It would be worth in
vestgaon, anyhow There would be fortunes in It for
those who wozd grow the long staple James l. Mar be-
leFes # be grown here with if planted early
Senatorial courtesy to have anesthetised the La
inquiry. which has been postponed