Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1927-01-20
CALIFORNIA RESEARCH REPORT SHOWS
COTTON ADVANTAGE OVER SOUTHEAST

MIA Development association, and
widely distributed, contains material
of vital Importance to the farmers
and land owners of Georgia and the
South who are in distress because of
overproduction of cotton.
The report contains these salient
paragraphs;
Analysis of the cotton growing
industry, in California indicates that
it is a permanent and desirable addi-
ton to the agriculture Of this State
California;.
"Sections of California best adapt
ed to cotton culture have economic
advantages which make possible a
stable, profitable industry as long as
cotton prices are at or above the cost
of production in the principal grow
ing areas of the United States.
"The advantages are ~ high
yields per acre and (2) premium
quality of product. The first factor
makes it possible for growers in the
best adapted areas to produce cotton
at lower average cost per pound
than in the principal growing areas
of the Southern states in spite of
higher land, labor and irrigation
costs. The second factor, quality,
has added an average from 2 to 3
cents per pound to the price received
by growers in California as compar-
ed to growers in the Southern states.
In it's issue Of January sixth, the
Columbus, Ca, Ledger published on
it's editorial page an argument against
passage of the Swing-Johnson bill,
now before Congress, under the head
ing, "The Government Could Better
Invest Money Teaching Farmers to
Live More at Home and Leave Cot
ton Alone" The argument was an
editorial from the Blackshear Times
based on recent article in The Week
discussing the Swing-Johnson bill.
This bill provides for an appro-
priation of $125,OOO,0oO for the
Boulder DAM project, one of whose
ends is to make Of the Imperial VAL
ley of California a great cotton pro-
ducing region.
Pertinent extracts from the edi-
torial follow:
"The SwingJohnson bill, intro
duced in the Congress Of the United
States by Senator Hiram Johnson, OF
California and Congressman Phil D.
Swing, of the same state, contains
much that should prove Of startling
interest to the farmer of the south.
"The document calls for a govern
mental appropriation of $125, 000,0OO
to provide for the cost of erecting
The largest dam in the world, back OF
which would be erected storage res
ervoir of a capacity of $4,000, 900
acre feet. This capacity is eight
Times that of the largest reservoirs
in the world, one known as the Ele-
ohant Butte in New Mexico and the
other the Assuan on the Nile OF
Egypt.
"The water cupped in this gigan-
lie dam is to be used in irrigating
the thousands of otherwise fertile
,he Colorado river lower basin; and
acres comprising the basin are to be
cultivated in cotton-a. crop that |
spelled disaster for hundreds of
southern farms this fall, but which |
agricultural experts and practical
farmers claim can be grown in the
basin at a substantial profit even
though the market price be only fiji
zen cents per popund.
"The basin, according to the au-
;hors of the $125,O0O,O0O bill, enjoys
many important advantages over the
group of southern states from which
American cotton production has here
,ofore come. These advantages are:
"No boil weevil.
"No need for fertilizer.
"Better grade of cotton and higher
prices.
"More cotton per acre.
"No dependence upon rainfall.
"Great seaports within easy range.
Excellent manufacturing condi-
lions.
"Of the above seven advantages
only one is of any significance-'no
need for fertilizer This is about
the biggest single item of expense
incurred by the farmer of the south
and if the Colorado river basin far
ner can grow cotton unhampered by
fertilizer bills it is very probable that
ne can sell his crop as low as l5 cents
DER pound at profit.
at is estimated that at least 1,00O,-
300 bales will be added to the coun-
rvs cotton crop within year or so
after completion Of the dam. This
added to an eight or nine million
bale crop would certainly wreck the
southern farmer and we doubt Sc
riously if the Colorado basin farmer
with all his numerous advantages
would receive sufficient money for
his cotton to pay for the ginning and
picking.
'It might be of interest to note that
cotton production in the Colorado ba-
sin has increased, under somewhat