36 Bulletin 85 



the Valley from the southern states and from Mexico. A fund was 

 raised by subscription among cotton growers and dealers in the Valley 

 and this money was used for- labor importation. Railroad fare was 

 advanced to prospective laborers and they were required to repay this 

 advance from the first wages secured in the cotton fields. Growers 

 who desired to secure cotton pickers applied at the central employment 

 office of the association and were assigned a share of the laborers 

 who were brought into the Valley. The prices paid for cotton picking 

 ranged from $2.50 to $4.00 per 100 pounds of seed cotton. Prevailing 

 high prices for other forms of farm labor took many pickers from the 

 cotton fields and the crop was not harvested as rapidly as was desired 

 bv the growlers. In all likelihood the labor problem will remain one 

 of the serious problems connected with cotton culture in the Salt River 

 A'alley. 



There are at present in the Valley eight cotton gins, located at 

 Glendale, Phoenix, ToUeson. Tempe, Mesa and Chandler. There are 

 Tio cotton compresses in the Valley and the bales arc shipped as they 

 are turned out from the gin. Prices received for long staple cotton 

 have varied greatly in past years. In 19 14, owing to the demoralized 

 condition of the general cotton market, prices to the grower ranged as 

 low as I4>4 cents per pound of lint. In 1916 the price started at 30 

 cents a pound, rose with rapidity to 47 cents a pound and in November 

 had reached 53 cents. Forty-four bales of Pima cotton of the 1916 

 crop, which were held until early in the Spring of 191 /, sold for 58.6 

 cents per pound. A considerable portion of the 1917 crop was sold 

 under contract prior to harvest. These contracts, some of which were 

 executed in the early Spring before cotton was planted, and others as 

 the season progressed, called for delivery at picking time at price.^ 

 ranging from 30 cents a pound to more than 50 cents a pound. The 

 cotton which was unsold at picking time opened at about 53 cents, rose 

 rapidly to 58 cents, then to 75 cents, and by December i a few sales of 

 Pima cotton had been made at the unprecedented figure of 80 cents 

 per pound. 



It appears that Arizona long staple cotton is especially suited to 

 the manufacture of high class automobile tire fabric and a considerable 

 proportion of this cotton is being so utilized. Its tensile strength also 

 makes it desirable for the manufacture of the fabric used for aero- 

 plane wings. A considerable part of the Yuma cotton produced in 

 1917 was grown by or sold under contract to automobile tire com- 



