Arizona republican., 1919-10-15

ss,24s While this statement to the confer ence is devoted entirely to long staple cotton of the American Egyptian type it is interesting to note that in the Imperial Valley of California and the Yuma Valley of Arizona a large amount of short staple is now being grown. And l am reliably informed that last year. in the Imperial Valley including both sides of the interna- tional boundary line, S5,000 bales of short staple cotton were grown, with perhaps 5000 bales of Durango; while in the Yuma Valley the production Of short staple cotton last season equalled about 10000 bales. There is every in cotton from both these valleys will probably exceed last years production by about 10000 bales.
 Arizona's Output
 Conservative estimates indicate that of the American Egyptian cotton, known as Pima, there will be raised in Arizona this season a crop of approxi- mately 50,000 bales, to which 1000 bales may be added from California.
 As practically 95 per cent of this balage will be produced in my homs district, the Salt River Valley, Ari- zona, shall confine myself largely t) description of this industry in tha! section.
 The history of the development of AmericantEgyptian cotton is a tribute to the clear sighted vision. resource fitness and tenacity of purpose of a group of men in the United States De- partment of Agriculture, whose re- search work has been carried on with fine sense of public service, and has in thorough-going and practical way laid the ground work for a great and new American industry.
 The development of this new type of cotton has in it many interesting ele- ments of romance. For the better part of a century the cotton grown in the rich Delta lands of the Nile had been recognized as the standard long staple cotton of the world. While, in 1903 David Fairchild, an explorer of tn. Department of Agriculture, had i'm. ported some Egyptian seed, from whici experimental plats of cotton were grown in the southwest, it was no until 1902 when the thorough study or the ground of Delta grown types O. Egyptian cotton and their adaptabilitl to our own southwest, by Thomas H Kearney, of the U. s. Department O Agriculture. resulted in the develop ment of constructive plan for build ing up new type of American Egyp tian cotton.
 Romance begins when we note tha Kearney brought his cotton seed iron the Valley of the Nile, the very cradl of history. and it was planted in it new American home on the Sacatoi Indian agency. but few miles iron the famous Casa Grande prehistori ruins.
 Our Earliest Cotton
 As the Egyptians had successful grown cotton since the time of tn Pharaohs. so in the prehistoric days c Arizona, had the ancient people grow cotton, lcng before the famous expe dition of Coronaoo into Arizona, seek ing the seven Golden Cities of Cibol in 1540. An interesting illustration C this fact came within my persons knowledge when, some ten years sine, in exploring an ancient cliff dwellinf which must have been ruin long be fore the tour of the adventurou Spaniards through Arizona found nc only finely woven cotton cloth, wor by the Cliff Dwellers, hut also, in on OI the bLOTc TOOHlS OI t0lS dnclef dwelling, cotton seed. Specimens ( this prehistoric cotton cloth. and ar cient seed cotton, as we'll as or types of modern American Egyptiai will be found in the case at the res end of this hall.)
 Kearney knew that the analysis the soil in the Salt River Valley Arizona was almost identical with tn; of the Delta lands of Egypt; the cl matic conditions were practically q same and he had a vision that in n arid country oi the southwest, und, irrigation, lay the opportunity for d, veloping an immensely valuable ne American crop. For number of year with his able group of co-laborator including Messrs. Swingle, Scofiel Cook and Hudson. field. demonstrate work in cotton plant breeding was COT ducted at government stations Sacaton. Arizona, adjoining the va irrigated district under the Rooseve