Imperial Valley press., 1922-01-28

The gradual spread of the boil
i weevil through the cotton belt has ne
cessitated general reorganization
of agriculture, the abandonment OF
cotton growing in a few of the moro
humid districts where the crop was
uncertain and most exposed to weevil
damage, changes of varieties and
methods elsewhere, and the introduc-
ton Of the crop to new localities. The
United States Department of Agri-
culture mas maae intensive study of
cotton improvement in recent years,
and has just issued new department
Circular, No. 200, Improvement in
Cotton Production.
The department finds that commu-
mites which unite upon a single su-
perior variety of cotton and main
tain a supply of pure seed find that
many of their problems are simpli-
lieu and that many avenues of prog
ress are opened.
Other community improvements,
cultural precautions, insect or di-
sease control, labor supplies, ginning,
handling, warehousing, financing and
marketing of the crop are all ap~
preached to greater advantage in or
gained one-variety communities. The
organization of one-yariety conmuni-
ties opens the way to a gradual i'm
provement of the commercial system,
which in unorganized communities
tends seriously to discourage prog
ress.
Along with the production of su-
perlor varieties must be found
way for farmers to secure the higher
prices paid by manufacturers. When
the buyers absorb the premium the
demand cannot be said to have reach
ed the farmer, and the supply is not
affected except adversely. The. pres
ent commercial system, through dis
couraging good farming and keeping
the cotton industry on low plane of
development, may be considered re-
sponsible for the prevailing idea that
the growing of cotton is a proper en-
ployment for cheap and careless
labor.
The best opportunityfor judging the
quality of the fiber is in the tIeld be-
fore the cotton is picked. Field inspec-
tion, the department points out, is
practicable In one-variety communi-
ties and would be a great improve
mercial CHASING, not only in enabling
the manufacturer to obtain mucn
more uniform fiber, but in applying
the just discrimination in prices that
would encourage the farmer to use
the best seed and take tie best care
OF his cotton.
Desirable Cultural Characters
The cultural characters that are
now recognized as of most impoy tance
in weevil-infested regions are early
and rapid setting of the crop on small, |
upright, singlestalk plants; resis-
taEce to disease, to insect pests, or to !
unfavorable conditions OF growth; |
large bolls; and the holding of the
cotton in the open bolls, the sc-called
"stormproof" character.
From Mexico and Central America,
new types of cotton have been secured
with specialized characters that may
be considered as weevil-resistine
adaptations, but the chief factor OF |
weevil resistance is the ability to set
a good crop of bolls in short period |
of time, early in the fruiting season.
The weevils do not breed until the
flower buds are formed, and a month |
or more must elapSe before the |
weevil population is greatly increas- |
ed. Hence, it usually is possible fer !
prolific early variety of cotton to set |
its bolls before the weevls become too |
numerous and destructive. When all |
of the flower buds are infested, no
more bolls can be set.
In addition to planting early varie- |
ties, cultural precautions need to be |
observed in the interest of small size |
and early maturity of the plants. Ev
en- the earliest and most prolific vdri-
cites, if forced into rank, luxuriant |
growth, may grow into large late-ma-
turing plants and yield only small
crops. The advantage of small plants
is not limited to weevil-infested dis |
tricts or even to short-season condi- |
tions. The rule is that small upright |
plants, close together in the rows, are
better than alrge spreading plants for
purposes of production. Very large |
crops can be raised on relatively |
small plants, not more than 3 feet
high with Upland ctton or feet
high with Egyptian cotton.
AS a means of securing early crops
of cotton in the presence of the boil
weevil orin short seasons, it is better
cultural practice to have large mum |
bers of small plants than small num-
bers of large plants. With deferred
thinning and close spacing in the
rows most of the plants develop with
a single upright stalk. With rows 36
to AZ inches apart the largest crops
are produced from single-stalk plants
less than foot apart in the row, not
from spreading plants 2 or 8
feet apart. The single-stalk system
avoids crowding between the rows
and secures a more normal develop
ment of the lower fruiting branches,
where the early bolls are produced.
Nine Varieties of High Merit
The United States Department of
Agriculture has bred and distributed
a series of varieties of cotton which
are adapted to a wide range Of condi-
tions in the American cotton belt and
are superior in length and abundance
of lint &C we'll aS hpino. parlv and nro-