FIELD CROPS. 137 



It is stated tliat the Colorado River region iu soutlieni Arizona and soutli- 

 easteru California, where the climate most nearly resembles that of Egypt, has 

 proved to be well adapted to Egyptian varieties of cotton and that experiments 

 in the Sonthwest, especially at Yuma, Ariz., during the last 5 years have 

 demonstrated that good yields of high grade can be secured. At first the intro- 

 duced plants made an excessive growth and produced relatively few bolls, but 

 as the process of acclimatization progressed the plants were reduced in size, the 

 average number of bolls greatly increased, they ripened much earlier and opened 

 wide. )Selection was also practiced in order to eliminate inferior individuals. 

 The average length of the fiber of Mit Afifl, the i)rincipal variety, was less than 

 If in. and lacked strength, fineness, and uniformity as to the characteristic 

 light brown color. In 1907 the length of fiber on the experimental field w;is 

 practically li in. and the quality had also improved. Two well-marked types 

 were selected, one corresponding to Mit Atifi and the other to Jannovitch. The 

 fiber of the first of these types is about li in. in length, crinkly but fine, and 

 of a pronounced brown color, while the second, which more nearly approaches 

 Sea Island varieties, averages 1| in. in length of fiber, w^hich is silky, lustrous, 

 and of a very light cream color. JNIit Aflfi yielded at Yuma iu 1907 at the rate 

 of 3,300 lbs. of seed cotton per acre, the percentage of lint being about 30. The 

 crop was grown in rows G ft. apart and the plants 3 ft. ajiart iu the row. In 

 Egypt the rows average .32 in. apart and the hills 16 in. apart with 2 plants in 

 each hill. The heavier growth in Arizona necessitates wider planting, but as 

 the plants become acclimatized they will i)robably become smaller and the 

 distance of planting may then be decreased. 



Early planting has given much better results than late planting. A level 

 seed bed with flood irrigation seems to be better suited to this section than the 

 furrow method of planting and irrigation practiced in Egypt. The tap root of 

 the plants on the loamy soils of the Yuma \'alley penetrate from ('» to 8 ft. and 

 consequently less water is required than for most crops under irrigation. It 

 seems that in a rather light loam soil with the proper cultivation two irriga- 

 tions after planting will produce a good crop. The fiber of the Egyptian cot- 

 ton plants in the Colorado River region continues to ripen during several 

 months and 3 or 4 pickings are necessary to harvest the bulk of the crop. 

 < )wiug to the smaller size of the bolls picking is slower than with our large 

 boiled Upland varieties. All other cultural processes are the same for both 

 types. It is stated that one-fifth of the 600,000 acres of land ultimately to be 

 under irrigation in the Colorado River region yielding 1 bale to the acre could 

 l)roduce the average amount of Egyptian cotton imported into the United 

 States during the last 10 years. 



How to make cotton growing' pay, G. AV. Carver (Alabama Tuskeyer Uta. 

 Bui. IJf, pp. 5-14, figs. 2). — General directions for the profitable culture of cotton 

 are given, and the advantages of si)ecial soil preparation are pointed out. The 

 best results in a culture test were obtained on a plat plowed 9 in. deep and 

 thoroughly pulverized by repeated plowing and harrowing until the soil was 

 fine and mellow to that depth. A stalk of cotton grown on this soil had a 

 splendid root growth and produced 12 mature bolls, while stalks on ground not 

 l>repared so deep had small root systems and matured fewer bolls. 



To show the advantages of shallow surface cultivation, which produces a 

 dust mulch and leaves the feeding roots undisturbed, the results of experiments 

 with the sweet potato are pointed out. Sweet potatoes cultivated 2 in. deep 

 gave much better results than those cultivated 5 and 6 in. deep. The meteoro- 

 logical records for 1906 and 1907 are reported, with brief comments. 



Rice investigations: Report of first year's experiments, F. G. Krauss 

 (Hawaii Sta. Rpt. 11)01, pp. 67-90, pis. 5). — The rice industry in Hawaii is 



