East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1921-08-03
EGYPTIAN LONG STAPLE
f. COTTON IS GROWN VERY
SUCCESSFULLY IN WEST
California and Arizona Grand
River Valley Made Produc-
tive by Irrig a It i on,
Nv A.0,HAYWARD,

/ International News Service starr
WASHINGTON, Aug. 3.-Egyptian
long staple cotton is being grown in
the Colorado. or Grande river valleys
OF California and Arizona.
1t is a new industry in this region
| that has been made wonderfully fer
tile through irrigation. The protec-
ton of this industry against destruc-
| tive competition from long-staple cot
ton imports from the Nile river val
leys was sought by Californians This
was the origin of the unsuccessful
fight waged in the house for inclusion
in the Fordney tariff bill of a 3 per
cent duty on cotton having staple Of
ia inches in length, or more.
Credit is given former Secretary of
Agriculture James Wilson, of Iowa, by
Representative Julius Kahn, of Cali
fornia. for starting the cotton indus
try along the Grande river, in Califor-
mia and Arizona, and making possible
the development there Of hundreds of
thousands of acres of land into pros
porous cotton fields,
In 1909 Secretary Wilson sent for
me, saving he had good news, /" Kahn
stated in explanation of the history of
cotton growing in the Grande river
valleys "He told me that reports made
to him by experts and scientists of the
department of agriculture showed
that the soil, climate and general con-
ditions in the Grande river valley of
California and Arizona We're very sim
liar 10 those in the Nile river valleys
end that he intended to start an ex-
perimentation to ascertain whether
long staple or Egyptian cotton could
he grown in the Grande river valleys.
Long Staple Long Neglected.
"The secretary had s44. 900 which he
said he could use for the purpose of
making the experiment. In twelve
years, from that small expenditure, a
great Gotten industry his sprung up in
the Grapde river valleys. Nearly So
acres of lands are being planted IN cot
tor, and the last crop brought over
$40, geo 600. The Goodyear Rubber
Company has 10000 acre cotton plan
tation in the California valley and is
moving there a part OF
its great automobile tire plant that il
may be near the raw product and save
in transportation costs. The long
staple cotton is used by the company
in the manufacture of cords for its
tires
There is very little long-staple cot
ton grown in other sections of the cot
ton belt of the United States. although
in recent years there has been con-
Quoted a campaign of education among
the Southern cotton growers to induce
them to abandon their short-staple
product and turn to cultivation of the
ong-staple variety. Experts have
held that this was possible through
of soil and selection of
seed.
The discoverers Of America found
the short-staple cotton plant growing
wild in the south While the cotton
planters since that time have extend
ed the cotton growing area and have
many improved methods of
the crop. it is stated that lit
tie attention has been given the sub
ject of improvement of the staple. At
tempts made by specialists to grow
the long staple Egyptian and Sea ISL
and cotton on the Atlantic coast have
not met with great success but a de-
insect was more responsible
for the failures than climatic con1-
tfops Or unfripndIv soil