8 RESULTS OF COTTON EXPERIMENTS IN 1911. 



moisture in the soil inadequate and thus reduces the plants to a condi- 

 tion of drought. But with soil of the right texture and a supply of 

 moisture that can be replenished by irrigation it is possible to maintain 

 equable conditions and produce cotton of very high quahty. This 

 has been conclusively shown in experiments with Egyptian cotton 

 in Arizona and southern California, and "with the Durango cotton 

 in southern Texas. 



The general tendency in irrigated districts is to use too much water, 

 the abihty of the cotton plant to resist drought being underestimated. 

 The crop is easily injured b}' the excessive use of water, especially in 

 the earlier part of the growing season. In locahties where the natural 

 rainfall assisted by drj^-farming methods provides enough moisture 

 for the germination of the seed, it is better to use irrigation only to 

 protect the maturing crop against injury by too severe drought. 



To raise short-staple U})land cotton on irrigated lands where 

 Egyptian or long-staple Upland cotton can be grown must be consid- 

 ered as a waste of agricultural resources. It is true that short-staple 

 cotton can be produced and marketed \nth less difficulty and by more 

 careless methods. This may just if j" the planting of short-staple 

 cotton by inexperienced farmers or in new settlements, but as soon 

 as communities become better organized an increased production of 

 long-staple cotton is to be expected from the irrigated regions of the 

 Southwest. 



Though many irrigation enterprises have been undertaken in the 

 hope of producing high-priced truck and fruit crops, cotton seems 

 Ukely to become the chief product of irrigated lands in Texas, as 

 well as of those that are cultivated by dry-farming methods. Pro- 

 moters of irrigation enterprises often fail to appreciate or to call 

 attention to this prospect, perhaps for the reason that short-staple 

 cotton would not appear as a profitable crop for lands enhanced 

 in value by the cost of irrigation works and water rents. Indeed, 

 it is still very difficult to understand how any crops now in sight wdll 

 justify the high prices that are expected lor some of the irrigated 

 lands. In regions where alfalfa does not thrive, as in some parts of 

 Texas, cotton is all the more likely to become the chief dependence 

 of irrigation farming. 



EXTENSION OF COTTON CULTURE IN THE SOUTHWEST. 



A gradual extension of cotton culture into the drier region of Texas 

 and other Southwestern States is one of the agricultural movements 

 now in progress. The boll weevil can do less damage in a dry chmate. 

 The injured buds fall off and dry up more promptly and this destroys 

 the weevil larvae. Cotton resists drought better tlian most other 

 crops and seems likely to be the chief product of large tracts of 



[Cir. 9G] 



