EGYPTIAlSr COTTON CULTURE IN THE SOUTHWEST. 27 



The turnout averaged about 1 bale per day from each gm, though 

 under favorable conditions it was possible to gin 1^ bales with each 

 machine. 



The cost of producing an acre of Egyptian cotton, estimating a 

 yield of 1,800 pounds of seed cotton per acre, may be summarized as 

 follows: Seed, tillage, and UTigation, $15; picking, $36; giiniing and 

 balmg, $10; making a total cost of $61 per acre, exclusive of interest 

 on land investment. It should be kept in mmd that these figures are 

 merely approximations. The actual costs will be found to vary 

 between wide limits, both above and below these figures. 



CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM THE SEASON'S WORK. 



The results of the season's work on P]gyptian cotton in the South- 

 west appear to wairant a material increase in the acreage devoted 

 to that crop. It would appear that farmers, particularly in the Salt 

 River Valley, will be justified in a further trial of the crop and on a 

 much larger scale. The prices paid for the crop were comparable 

 with those paid for imported Egy})tian cotton during the same period 

 of sale. It has been demonstrated by repeated experiments that 

 Egyptian cotton of excellent uniformity and good length and strength 

 of staple can be produced on the irrigated lands of southwestern 

 Arizona and southeastern California. The protluction of Egyptian 

 cotton in larger quantities should result in attracting the attention 

 of users of that staple to this new producing region, and consequently 

 lead to a more advantageous marketing of the crop. 



The crop is one which fits admirably into the best rotation system 

 for these southwestern irrigated lands. When cotton is alternated 

 with alfalfa the results are beneficial to both cro]:)s and to the pro- 

 ductivity of the soil. Alfalfa is and ])robably will remain the most 

 important single crop of these irrigated lands, but the maximum 

 production of this crop is to be expected only where it is grown in 

 rotation with some cultivated crop, such as cotton, which permits 

 the killing out of the Bermuda grass, Johnson grass, and other weeds 

 which invade the alfalfa fields and after a time greatly reduce their 

 productivity. 



For the best results in maintaining a liigh quality of Egyptian 

 cotton on these iri'igated lands, it will be necessary to maintain a 

 supply of pure and carefully selected seed. The variety which has 

 been used by farmers during the past season is the result of several 

 years of selecting and testing. The experiments wliich resultetl in 

 the production of this variety are being continued, and other and 

 better varieties may reasonably be expected in the future. 



Meanwhile, it is of the utmost importance that the seed used for 

 planting by the farmers shall be uncontaminated by cross-pollination 



[Cir. 123] 



