Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1923-07-22
SURVEY VALLEY
COTTON FIELDS
SHOWS Big CROP
Practically All Sections Of
Valley Harvesting Record
breaking Crop This Year.
Total Yield Will be Heavy

Total Yield Will be Heavy
Cotton is king in the Rio Grande Val.
ley at the present time. From Roma 10
Mission the people Of the Valley are
picking cotton. ginning cotton. talking
cotton and thinking cotton. The Valley
Is in the midst Of the harvest of the
greatest cotton crop ever produced in
south. Texas, and the, prediction is
made that when the last bale is ginned
the valley will have broken all produc-
tioH records for any similar acreage in
the State Of Texas.
A survey Of the Valley proves con-
ciusively that the reported damage by
leaf worms has been greatly cxaggerat-
ed With the exception Of the late plant
Cd crop, which Is a small percentage of
the total acreage. the cotton was
made" before the plants were defoli-
sted by the ravages Of the leaf worm.
Scores OF growers who have been rails.
ing cotton in the alley for years state
that the leaf worm by practically Grad
Icatinga the boil wecvil, has proved
blessing IN disguise, and that the Val.
ley viii Be- enabled to produce a top
crop this year which will more than off
set any loss which may have been sus-
tanned by reason of the leaf worm at.
tack upon the first crop.
Poison Proved Effective.
One fact has been clearly established
in the valley-that poisoning TO con-
troll leaf worms and boil weevils is de-
cidedIy effective. The only reason any
material damage was done by the leaf
worms was due to the fact that suffi-
eient supplies Of poison were not avail
able, and wherever the growers did
poison and rains did not wash the poi
SON from the plants. the damage by leaf
worms or boil weevils was not notice
able.
The Mission section has sustained
less damsge from the leaf worm than
any other irrigated section of the Val
ley. and growers assert that this was
largely due to the moresight of one OF
the hardware firms of that city which
ordered $4,000 stock of poison early
in the season. and this entire supply
was available to control the pest at the
outset Thousands Of pounds of poison |
were applied by the growers of the
Mission district. and there are few
fields 10 that district which show ma
tsrial damage from the leaf worm or
boil wcevil. Growers In the district as
ssrt that the Mission gins will turn cut
$4,000 bales, and that the gin at La
Reforma ranch, few miles north of
Mission will turn out at least 5000.
making approximately 10000 baules to
be ginned In Mission this year over
twice the amount marketed there in
1922.
Confident Of Top Crop.
Old cotton growers on the Shsry-
Mission tract. including Charles Wright
George Baxter. Luke Robertson and
Thomas Doughty. are confident that
the Valley growers will supplement the
the present crop with the biggest top
crop ever grown. They point out that
the leaf worm and the large amount of
poison used have practically eliminated
the boil weevil, and the weevil has al
ways been the controlling factor in pro-
ducing top crop in the Valley. In the
vicinity Of Mercedes. La Feria. and
Harlingcn, many growers are making
to irrigate their fields as
fast as the cotton is picked in order to
start the fruiting of the plants as early
a. possible.
Starr County wal Break Record
The "cotton fever" which struck the
Valley last fall was not confined to the
irrigated sections. In both willacy and
Starr counties the acreage this year
has been trcbled. and the crop is fine
condition. growers reporting that the
yield will average half a bale per
acre. IN Starr county thousands Of
acres of ranch land was planted to cot
ten, and very little damage has been
done in that county by the army worms.
the pests not developing in sufficient
numbers to make poisoning necessary
in most sections Of that county. Be-
tween Rio Crande City and Roma,
where in previous years. field crops
we're practically unknown. hundreds of
acres of cotton are being harvested. and
gins at Rio Crande City, Roma and
Rancho viejo. north Of Roma. are run
ming "a hours a day and are unable to
handle the cotton as fast as il is de-
livcfed. r.,
Big Yield Near Mercedes.
The lands wstered by the American
Rio Crande Canal Company in the Vi
cinity Of Mercedes and weslaco are this
wear producing the largest cotton crop
ever watercd by one irrigaGon COM
pany. There are thousands of acres of
cotton on the West tract, near Wesla-
co, which growers claim will average
three -fourths of a bole per acre. and II
good top crop is produced will run
we'll over a bale to the acre. Mercedes
cotton men assert that the damage
done by the leaf worm will not amount
TO more than ten per cent in the dis
trict watered by the American RIO
Crande Canal Co.. and that the average
riejd will be close TO three-fourths of
bale per acre throughout the district.
Most of the, cotton in this district was
planted early. and he loss of foliage
had no i'll effect. There are seven gins
in this district and they are operating
tog capacity. but thev are having diff
ficulfv In handling the cotton as fast
as delivered.
Worms Hit Edinburg District
The district around -Edinbrrg has
probably sustained the greatest dam
fcontinned on page 2.)