[Cir. 123— A] 



FACTORS AFFECTING THE PRODUCTION OF LONG-STAPLE 



COTTON/ 



By O. F. Cook, Bionoinist in Charge of Crop Acclimatization and Adaptation Inves- 

 tigations. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The Department of Agriculture receives many requests for informa- 

 tion and advice regarding the advisability of planting Eg}^ptian and 

 other types of long-staple cotton. The production of long staples has 

 declined for several years because tlie boll weevil has invaded the 

 former long-staple districts in the lower ]\Iississippi Valley. The 

 resulting scarcity and high prices liave stimulated the production of 

 long staples in other parts of the cotton belt, and planters are natu- 

 rally inquiring how far this readjustment is likely to go. 



The question can not be considered as purely agricultural, for the 

 profits of a crop depend upon consumption and selling prices as well 

 as upon the cost of production. More progress has been made in 

 recent years on the agricultural side of the long-staple problem than 

 on the industrial and commercial sides. There is no longer any 

 doubt that the improvement of varieties and of cultural methods 

 will make it possible to produce long-staple cotton more cheaply than 

 in former years and over a much larger area of the cotton belt. In 

 other words, it becomes apparent that the production of long-staple 

 cotton is one of the undeveloped agricultural resources of the United 

 States and one that is capable of enormous expansion. But it is 

 equally apparent that anything like a full development of these re- 

 sources must be accompanied by extensive changes and readjust- 

 ments in the commercial and industrial world. Our manufacturers 

 have been accustomed to deplore the limited and uncertain supplies 

 of long-staple cotton. It now remains to be seen how long it will be 

 before they take advantage of the removal of these limitations. 



IMPROVED VARIETIES A FACTOR OF THE LONG-STAPLE PROBLEM. 



A new factor is introduced into the problem of long-staple pro- 

 duction by the early-maturing long-staple varieties that are now 

 being distributed by the Department of Agi'iculture. The danger 

 that the boll weevil would put an end to the culture of the old late- 

 maturing long-staple varieties was foreseen nearly a decade ago and 



1 Issued Apr. 20, 1913. 

 [Cir. 123] 3 



