PRODUCTION OF AMERICAN EGYPTIAN COTTON. 7 



some spinners prefer the Sakellaridis variety for certain purposes. 

 The crops so far produced have also been of very good grade, com- 

 paring favorably with that of the best imported cotton. A large 

 portion of the Egyptian cotton imported into the United States is of 

 low grade or of relatively short staple, i. e., 1\ to If inches. The 

 American-grown Egyptian cotton does not come into competition 

 with the latter class, but only with the better and higher priced vari- 

 eties. 



Table III. — Nimiber of bales, estimated value of the lint, and estimated value 

 of the seed of Egyptian cotton produced m the United States in the years 

 1912 to 1917, inclusive. 





Cotton 



lint in 



500-pound 



bales. 



Estimated value — 



f Year. 



Of lint. 



Of seed. 



Of total 

 crop. 



1912 



375 

 2,135 

 6,187 

 1,095 

 3,331 

 15, 966 



$39,000 

 197,000 

 483,000 

 119,000 

 699, 500 

 5,482,000 



$5,000 

 28,000 

 50,000 

 10, 660 

 86,400 

 619, 770 



$44, 000 

 225, 000 



1913 



1914 



533, 000 



1915 



129,660 



1916 



785, 900 



1917 



6, 101, 770 







FUTURE POSSIBILITIES OF THE INDUSTRY. 



As to the ultimate possible extension of the industry, the Salt River 

 Valley and the neighboring portion of the Gila Valley could probably 

 grow annually from 75,000 to 100,000 acres of Egyptian cotton, tak- 

 ing into account the entire area capable of irrigation both by gravity 

 and by artesian water. This estimate is based upon the belief that 

 in order to maintain a well-balanced agriculture in an irrigated dis- 

 trict not more than one-quarter of the total acreage should be annu- 

 ally in cotton. On the same basis the Yuma Valley could grow about 

 20,000, the Palo Verde Valley about 15,000, and the Imperial Valley 

 about 100,000 acres of Egyptian cotton annually. In the more north- 

 ern valleys of California the industry is still in the experimental 

 stage, and it is difficult to estimate the possible ultimate production 

 in that locality. An annual area of at least 100,000 acres in the San 

 Joaquin Valley would seem possible. 



Heretofore the entire acreage planted to Egyptian cotton has 

 yielded annually an average of about 250 pounds of fiber per acre. 

 But in view of the results which have been obtained every year by 

 farmers skilled in the management of this crop on land which has 

 been enriched by crops of alfalfa, the average yield should ultimately 

 approach one bale (500 pounds) per acre. With a total acreage of 

 300,000 an annual production in the United States of from 150,000 

 to 250,000 bales of cotton of the Egyptian type appears to be well 

 within the limit of probability, provided that the prices of the fiber 



