Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-09-22
KING
OF CROPS ON
Lower BORDER
Value or Valleys 1929
Crop Over $1l,OOO,-
600; Large Acreages
Are Available

GNAG 1AMAA1N# MAA4 MAARAMAA AA A@%@MAM
years citrus fruit and winter vege-
tables have threatened tn displaca
that staple as the principal crop
N ~ apparent that cotton will hclf
the premier position for several
years.
With approximately $4,000 acres
planted I'D cotton this year, tho
production of the four Valley c0un-
ties will total los. 600 bales. with IA
value of approximately Sill 100000
as compared with "A $4,000 bale crop
in 1928 with IA value of 100000
Hidalgo and Cameron have for
the past seven years ranked among
the heaviest cotton producing coun-
tie in the state. and in All four
III the Valley counties the acreage
devoted to this staple crop has in
creased steadily a5 new areas came
under development. The peak of
production was attained in 1926
when the four counties produced
over 10000 bales. ideal weather
conditions resulting in "A crop which
averaged over half "A bale ~ the
acre for the entire area. one of tha
heaviest crops ever produced by any
section OF the cotton belt
Cotton growing was m Of tho
earliest industries Of the lower Dor
der section. Since the days XIX the
earliest settlements when cotton
was grown u q supply the needs XII
the Spanish cOlOniEts and their m-
| plOyes the acreage devoted TO the
staple has increased year after
| year. During the Civil war large
acreages of river land were planted
| to this crop. and with the advent
of irrigation in the early part of
the present century cotton formed
the major part XIII the production
Earliest Producing Section
The Lower Rio Grande Valley iS
the earliest cotton producing Sec
ton of the United States, and Ger
years has captured the first bale
hCnnrs each season. almost invar-
iably getting the first bale onto the
market in June. Planting starts in
January e. February. and the pick
ing season starts at least two
months earlier than lin the northern
part 0f the cotton belt.
a. IA result of the early produce
ton Valley cotton almost invar-
iably secures "a premium ON the
markets, and very rarely dO the
growers in the northern part Of the
cotton area secure prices d. high
as the Valley growers receive. The
Valleys crop goes onto the market
at "A time when the large stocks ara
depleted and the demand for the
staple is at itS peak. a. m result
M this condition and the fact that
the per acre production is far above
the average for the cotton belt the
crop has proved very profitable for
cotton growers.
In recent years hundreds of cot
ton farmers OF northern and east
ern Texas and Oklahoma have been
attracted to the Valley by the ad-
vantages this section offers and
thousands XII acres in the nOn-irri-
gated sections have been cleared
and planted I'D the staple. In the
average year the rainfall is suffi-
cient To mature the crop without
irrigation, and employment of
moisture conservation methods IN
tending KID increase the per acre
production throughout the entire
nOn-irriEated area. Many OF the
cotton farmers are now utilizing
deep t%illers, cracking the suhsoil tO
VA depth XII l8 to 20 inches and Gre
ating reservoirs which retain the
moisture falling ON the lands and
preventing run-nff cf water during
heavy rains. This method also iS
having the effect Of reducing root
rot and sun scaId. nv assuring vigr
orous root systems which are moU
resistant t0 the root rot fungus
The Valleys Velvet Crop
Many growers regard cotton NV
the Valleys velvet crOp-produced
at "a time when the land could not
he utilized for other crops.
Throughout the irrigated section
large acreages of cotton are plant
ed On land which produced winter
vegetables KIT feed crops during tha
winter months. the soil being pre-
pared and planted tO cotton en-
soon as the winter crop Nv removed.
Much of tine acreage devoted tO late
fall vegetables and spring cabbage.
carrots. beetS and similar crops, Is
available for cotton planting AMI
Az again prepared for vegetable
crops as soon aS the cotton is of.
I'M the nOn-irrigated sections the
land ~ generally prepared as soon
as the crop iS removed in order tO
absorb the fall and winter rains.
It ~ dragged I'D eliminate weed
gr0wths and to retain the moisture.
IA rain OR two during the growing
season provides sufficient moisture
with that retained by the dry farm
: ing methods t0 mature the crop.
lin Willacy county, where soil
| types are very uniform. standard
izatiOn OF varieties IL practiced in
several sections with profitable RE
suits. Several or the gins in that
county handle practically only cne
I variety and this has tended tO I'M
crease the demand for the product
} of that section Standardization
| also IL practiced in "A few sections
Of the irrigated area and is expect
Ell to become more general as the
varieties best adapted for the diff
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