Arizona republican., 1920-01-23
DAIRY INTERESTS
 MEAN MORE THAN
 FARMERS REALIZE

Dairying interests mean more to the Salt River valley than many farmers realize, according to Vice President and Cashier W. H. Thomson of the Phoenix National bank, it being his belief thaf all manner of diversified farming should be practiced here as protection against the evils he foresees in the
 present tendency toward putting prac- tically the entire valley on one-crop
 cotton basis.
 The banker takes in more scope than
 the dairy interests when he speaks of
 the danger of the cotton enthusiasm, it
 being his belief that every kind of
 farming suitable to the Salt River valley should be followed here. He
 mentions the local creamery plant in- vestments. that are valued at about
 1000 900, as an instance of what the dasrying Interests mean to the valley. The threatened extinction of the dali ries, he says, would make a tremendous difference in the vallay'S industrial and commercial resources that undoubtedly would be felt keenly if any of the dire calamities happened to the cotton crop
 such as are among the possibilities as brought out by the Better Farming" report that is just issued by the Mari copa County Bankers association.
 He holds that it is not for the bank CTS to tell the farmers how to run the farms, anymore than it is for the farm CTS to lay out program for running the banks, but he stands with the bank CTS association in its attitude for safe guarding the valleys prosperity that is threatened now by the one crop ten- dency.
 According to Better Farming" there has been a lot of good luck in the cot ton game here so far, that is not at all certain to continue. many factors beside the quick depletion of the soil having to be considered. The Better Farm ing report says that the situation is recognized thoroughly by the South west Cotton company, that company having 5000 acres of it's 17sO0o acre holdings in alfalfa, purely for the pur- pose of maintaing the fertility of it's land and of encouraging diversified in- terests in the valley. That company, recognized as a leader among the cot ton growers. does not hesitate to grow alfalfa on valuable cotton lands as it realizes that it's permanent investments require intelligent use of the land. Big cattle companies contract for all the ai- falfa raised.
 Insect pests are quite capable of causing sudden and irreparable losses in 6 single season that would be off set if the farmers would diversity their interests. As an instance of the con stant danger overnanging the cotton farmer the report mentions a shipment Of Egyptian cotton seed that came to tine valley in 1914 and that was found to be infected with the Egyptian pink boil worm. The seed was burned here. and it is claimed that if it had become distributed the cotton business in this valley would not have been profitable anymore. Continual vigilance is main- tained for the protection of the farmers but there is said to be grave danger of 8 sudden and devastating plague at any time.
 Grasshoppers are mentioned by the report as a possible cause for the com plete eradication of a cotton crop, three species having been recognized in this state as dangerous to cotton interests. The grasshoppers can be controlled if taken in time. It is claimed that a colony of grasshoppers, at work in a 40-acre alfalfa field, can eat one ton of hay a day. Various other insect pests, already encountered here, are mentioned in the report, the report | with the following state | ment:
 "The presence of such a large num- | per of insect pests and the possibility | Df damage to the cotton crop to such an !
 Continued on Page Two)