Arizona republican., 1920-01-23
COTTON SHOULD NUT BE GROWN
 CONTINUOUSLY ON VALLEY LANDS

Many 1920 prospective cotton grow CTS are asking. 'Is my land adapted to cotton2" and Should plant my entire acreage to cotton?" This brings up the question of what soils are adapted and what are not adapted to cotton growing. Average yields of cotton for several years have been almost exactly oue-half bale 10 tho acre. but mum Der of farmers have produced con sidcrabiy over a bale to the acre. E.. W. Hudson. a pioneer and recognized authority in cotton growing in the valley, states that generally. land that will grow good alfalfa and good grain crops. will grow good cotton. but cot ton should not be grown continuously on any land. but a definite and well planned crop rotation plan should be followed.
 The advice of the United States de- partment Of agriculture to new grow CTS is.-do not plant a very large acre. age the first season because the crop has certain peculiarities which can only be learned and understood through experience in growing. and adds fur ther that all growers of cotton should bear in mind the fact that there are many factors which might cause par tlal or total crop failure such as pests storms. labor shortage or weak markets
 The soils that can be expected to re- turn the higher yields of cotton are the sandy loams of which there are q number. varying but little in physical texture. They are relatively light in character. are easily plowed; take water nicely aud do not waste water where the grade Of the land has been properly made. and release plant food readily 10 the growing plants. Soils which are unfit for cotton are those that are slick. which include the ex tremely heavy loans: loose porous soils are not desirable for cotton be- cause Of the lack of humus and the in ability to retain sufficient moisture for the crop. There is considerable acre age in some districts concentrated, in others. found only in spots. Of the soil type known as slick" and is divided into two classes: First, those deficient in chemical clements. and second. those physically defective. Soils of the latter type fail to produce because of their high content of extremely fine material which will withhold relatively large amounts of water from the plant. They also take water slowly and bake easily. making it a difficult matter to either obtain or retain a stand of cot ton worth while. The chemically de fective soils are those containing too much alkali, either black or white. and before being productive must be drained. the acid neutralized by adding lime. barnyard manure or other fer ;llizer added and should be ploughed
  possible. Ground containing a heavy stand of Johnson grass is not desirable for cotton production. though such soil may not be unsuited for any other | reason or reasons.
 Don't Plant Cotton on New Land
 Wherever possible the first crop Of | Egyptian cotton should be put on land i that has already been in crop. On new | desert land the growth is usually very | uneven. and there will be a cores l
 ~s..es s-.~ eI. fiber produced. Uniformity of fiber is | one of the main requisites in this type | of cotton. Land that has produced one | or more crops of grain. sorghum or | alfalfa should do well in cotton For ! a generation or more some of the farms | of the Salt River valley have been | growing alfalfa. as the major crop. | Not continuously to be sure. not in A | well Defined rotation perhaps. but al- Il ternating with grain, and grain sorg huns. Often this alfalfa and other | forage has been fed out on the farm | to dairy cattle. steers or hogs. The | roots of the alfalfa have gone down | into the subsoil. aerating and bringing | up stored fertility in the shape of | potash and phosphorus. while the ni- trogen has been drawn from the mex haustible reservoirs of the air.
 Could conditions be any more ideal for the growing of cotton? Yet with this splendid preparation which has been going on for years. we are pro- aucing only an average of half a bale to the acre
 If there are root-rot spots in an all faIfa field they are likely to appear in a following crop of cotton. For that reason. and also because 1t is hard to get alfalfa sod into good tilth quickly, if is better to put the first crop of cotton on land that has been in grain or some similar field crop rather than to put 1t on new land or poorly pre- pared alfalfa land.
 Very sandy land. too light to hold sufficient moisture. is not we'll adapted to cotton, but fin some localities cotton has done well in a fine sandy soil. While very heavy soils are much more difficult to get into good condition for cotton than the lighter soils. yet if the equipment is available to get the heavy land into good tilth and keep it ''