The Coolidge examiner., 1942-02-27

anu Aui uiLOb,
been most helpful in the task of
locating gin-run seed stocks and In
determining their fitness for plant
ing seed purposes.
Ordinarily Arizona produces a lot
of good quality gin-run SKIP seed.
This year the situation is alb
normal.
In the first place, there was
lot of replanting last spring; the
good seed was exhaused and many
growers had to use lOw-grade gin
run seed. That resulted in still
lower quality of the 1941 seed crop.
Then further, during the early part
of the harvest season last fall.
when most of the seed is well ma
tured and of good viability, grow
ers were depressed by the current
low prices for SKIP lint and rela-
lively little early season gin-run
seed was saved for planting. The
result is we are going to have to
use for planting seed a lot of the
seed accumulated since the War
Production Board freezing" order
came out In January.
The War Board in Washington
set up standards on SxP seed to
guide US in determining the suit
ability of various lots for planting
purposes. Any lot of gin-run seed
OF SKIP which will germinate at
least SO percent and which con-
tains not more than 1.5 percent OF
off-type seeds cannot be crushed
1t must be held for planting pur-
poses.
For several days now we have
been checking stocks OF gin-run
seed, testing them for mixture and
for germinability. To date we think
we have found enough seed-pure
seed and gin-run seed together
to plant around 250.000 acres In
the Southwest. Such an acreage
can be achieved only by most care
full management.
THINGS THAT MUST BE DONE
Several things will have to be
done to achieve a goal anywhere
near 250,000 acres. Some of those
things are as follows:
I. Growers incentive to increase
SKIP acreage is influenced greatly
by anticipated prices.
Announced prices of 35 cents and
down for varying grades of SKIP
which will staple at least III
inches are not attractive enough
to effect any great increase In
acreage. Growers figure they will
make as much or more per acre by
growing "short staple" under AAA
provisions. Producers fear a pos
sible labor shortage when they
consider a large increase In long
staple acreage.
2. Apparently most Of the In
crease in SxP acreage will have to
come from a substitution Of that
cotton for upland on allotted acre
ages. Such substitution can be
made, the writer has been inform
ed, without affecting a growers
position under the Agricultural
Conservation program. This prob
lem should be- fully worked out
with local and county AAA COM
mittees.
8. Growers who own or pur-
chase Registered or Certified seed
should treat that seed and plant 1t
in such a way as to make 1t plant
the maximum number of acres.
Every ton of pure seed and all
good gin-run should be delinted by
acid or mechanical means, and 1t
should all be treated with Ceresan
dust to help assure good stand.
Planting seed so handled and
treated should plant 80 acres or
more per ton If 1t has germina-
tion of 80 percent or better and
if it is not planted too early.
4. All growers are urged not to
rush the planting season" too
much. The writer believes that 1t
would be about ideal il all SxP
seed could be planted in our lower
valleys (Maricopa and Pinal coun-
ties) between March 10 and March
20. Some larger producers, or
course, find it necessary to begin
planting earlier in order to get the
bulk of the crop in at the best
time.
5. Growers should be especially
careful this year about the germin-
ability of the seed they plant.
Many tests are being run now at
Sacaton Station and at the Uni
versity. If the seed bought germi-
mates 80 percent or better 1t can
be planted at a much lower rate
per acre than If the termination is
down around so or 60 percent.
A CHALLENGE TO ARIZONA
GROWERS
The writer considers this whole
situation a distinct challenge to
Arizona cotton farmers. He be-
lieves that financers, growers, and
ginners of SxP cotton will all get
behind this program to produce
bumper crop, perhaps even 100000
hn1 nf Lt~h IT