CULTURE OF DURANGO COTTON IN THE IMPERIAL VALLEY. 5 



Fortunately, a small quantity of uncontaniinated Durango seed 

 (enough to plant about 700 acres) has been secured from Texas for 

 1913 plantmg, and a small quantity was grown in the Imperial A'alley 

 mider conditions that warrant its purity. If handled properly in 

 1913, the crop from tliis seed will yield an abundance of clean seed 

 for all local needs in 1914. 



RESPONSIBILITY OF PLANTERS OF CLEAN SEED. 



Those who plant clean seed m 1913 should assume the responsi- 

 bility of providmg clean seed for planting in 1914. The practical 

 bearing of this responsibility of the mdividual planter is in the fact 

 that the establishment of a long-staple mdustry depends largely on 

 the production of large quantities of first-class Durango cotton. 

 The production of 10,000 or 20,000 bales of such cotton in 1914 and 

 succeeding years would mean much to the Imperial Valley. The 

 man who, through carelessness in 1913, allows clean seed planted on 

 50 or 100 acres to become mixed may cut down the production of 

 first-class Durango cotton in 1914 to the extent of 2,500 to 5,000 

 bales. It is therefore important that each grower take it upon hun- 

 self to keep his clean Durango seed from becoming mixed with other 

 varieties. 



PRESERVATION OF CLEAN SEED. 

 CLEAN LAND. 



In the first place, all clean seed should be planted on clean land. 

 If planted on land cropped to cotton hi 1912 there is every proba- 

 bility that mixture will be occasioned by the volunteering of seed 

 scattered from the previous crop. Up to the present there has 

 arisen no necessity for the eradication of volunteer cotton, so that 

 methods to this end have not yet been devised. The condition of 

 cleanness of fields on which to plant pure Durango seed should be 

 absolute m order to msure the deshed end of raismg clean Durango 

 seed. A few volunteer plants of another variety in the field, along 

 borders, or in fence corners are as dangerous as a great number. 



ISOLATION. 



Further, plantmgs of clean Durango seed should be made in fields 

 isolated from plantings of other varieties of cotton, in order to 

 guard agamst cross-pollmation of the Durango by insects. If it 

 proves impracticable to isolate the field of clean Durango by dis- 

 tance (of one-eighth mile or more), the precaution should be taken 

 to plant a wide strip (50 feet or more) of milo or of some other tall- 

 growmg crop between the Durango and other cottons. 



[Cir. 121] 



