Arizona republican., 1919-10-15
tial to success can be readily main

tial to success. can be readily main tained.
 The growers realize that the im- munity of the Salt River Valley from the boil weevil and other pests which have handicapped the cotton industry in other sections must be maintained and with the thorough cooperation oi the government, the best methods not only to prevent the importation of seed in which there could be any danger of infection, but to maintain the highest standard in the selection of the local seed, have been practiced. The meth ods employed by the Department Of Agriculture through their field experts in the Salt River Valley to maintain a high standard of seed, were as fol- lows:
 It's Development
 In 1913, they rogued about 100 acres of cotton. Every plant in this acreage was examined and the unproductive and off type plants, amounting to about 1 per cent of the total, were re- moved. This was done early in July. soon after blossoming began, in order to take out the inferior plants before their pollen should contaminate those left in the field. The Growers Asso- citation had the seed from the rogued field ginned at the Cotton Exchange under such conditions as to avoid mix ing with other seed and also had the seed sacked and tagged as it came from the gin, in order to prevent mix ture while it was held in storage. The rogu ued seed was placed by the associa- tiOn in the hands of careful farmers having good land sufficiently remote from other cotton to prevent crossing The fields planted under these condi- | tions were inspected during the sum- mer and the product of those properly grown and otherwise satisfactory was ginned separately in order to fur
 nish seed for general planting the sec ond year after the roguing was done
 Thus the seed used for general plant
 ing in 1918 was derived from the fielC
 which were rogued in 1916, and tha
 which was used for general plantin: in 1919 from the fields rogued in 1917
 It has been found that the seed iron inspected fields can be sold for plant ing at price very little above curren
 oil mill prices, thus removing tn
 temptation to plant unsolicited see,
 because it is cheaper.
 The cultural methods employed 4 producing this cotton may prove of in
 terest. AS all cotton men know, tn
 cotton plant is essentially a sunshin
 plant, and there is probably no sectio
 of the world except Egypt where tn
 sun shines with more regularity tha
 in the Salt River Valley. In fact, on
 of our local hotel keepers offers to re
 fund to his patrons the price of thei
 accommodations for any day the su
 fails to shine
 The Cultivation
 The first step in production is tn
 thorough preparation Of as nearly per
 feet a seed bed as possible. Tn
 ground is first well irrigated, the
 ploughed once or twlce, narrowed an
 dragged to a uniform slope and tn seed planted from March 10th to Apr , 10th, about thirty pounds being plante to the acre and drilled in rows abol
 3 feet 3 inches apart. The thinnin | methods vary according to the views the grower and the type of soil ] i which the cotton is produced. Cel f tain soils will produce a maximul crop, if the plants are thinned to ] inches apart in the row. On oth, , soils, best results can be obtained |
 leaving the plants not more than ] [ inches apart. Intense cultivation essential. This is an expensive featur but must be maintained if maximu results are desired. Sometimes fro ! four to six cultivations are given tl
 crop before the size of the plal
 makes further cultivation impossibl , It has been found that in order to ol
 tain quality and length of fibre in u z cotton ,he plant must be kept steadi
 growing but that after planting irr , gation should not be practiced uni
 the plant shows danger of with Q The scientific application of water \ midsummer after cultivation h; . ceased, is of vital importance. IT { plants fruit very heavily under favo
 able conditions of care, it being no Ill e usual thing to see Pima plant wi q 150 well-set bolls and it is to the SC Q ting of the bolls of cotton on the plar n rather than to the amount of the veg . table growth, that the intelligent grow Q CT gives his closest attention. In o district it has been found that the co ton plant to produce a maximum vie f of seed cotton, should be from four , five feet in height.
 e The cotton picking season in AT h zona commences early in Septemb if and picking is usually concluded ear . in February, three picking being GU ; tomary. The price paid for pickii if last year averaged about 3bc p :. pound. An average picker will pi 2 about 100 pounds in ten-hour ds n but under test, an experienced pick l. has made record on this cotton