COMMUNITY PRODUCTION OF DUEANGO COTTON. 3 



forma and in Lower California are thus identical in many important 

 particulars. The Mexican crop, largely increased in the past two 

 years, has been ginned and marketed in California towns. As the 

 gins do not report the Mexican crop separately, the statements and 

 tabulation involving acreages and yields given later refer to cotton 

 from the whole of the Imperial Valley. 



EARLY PLANTINGS. 



The first commercial crop of cotton, grown in 1909, was preceded 

 by numerous test plantings. As early as 1902 a planting of Egyptian 

 cotton was made by the Department of Agriculture at Calexico, Cal. 

 This cotton grew luxuriantly and reproduced itself from the old 

 stumps for a number of years. Settlers from the older cotton States 

 planted a few seeds of Upland cotton on their ranches, and it was 

 found that these plants thrived in the new country. It is probable 

 that cotton plants were grown in the valley each season from the time 

 irrigation water was brought in (1901) until the industry was defi- 

 nitely launched in 1909. Earlier plantings of cotton in other irri- 

 gated sections of southern California 1 indicated that success with 

 cotton in the Imperial Valley was to be expected. 



Half an acre of cotton near El Centro, Cal., planted in 1906 and 

 ratooned in 1907 yielded well both seasons. This plat attracted much 

 attention and had an important bearing in creating confidence in cot- 

 ton as a crop for the valley and in crystallizing sentiment for cotton 

 growing. A number of individuals made small test plantings in 

 1908. 



Though the cultivation of cotton under irrigation conditions was 

 little understood by the farmers in 1909, it had been clearly demon- 

 strated (1) that seedling cotton yielded well and (2) that cotton 

 could be ratooned or grown from old roots which lived through the 

 preceding winter. The ratooning of cotton is here mentioned because 

 of its bearing later on the progress of the industry. 



EXPANSION OF THE INDUSTRY. 



The first commercial crop, that of 1909, was grown on 450 acres, 

 averaging a little more than three-fourths of a bale per acre. The 

 350 bales of the 1909 crop sold on a high market, much of it at 14 

 cents ;i pound. This proved a great incentive to more extensive 

 planting in 1910. 



In 1910 tin.- <}■<>]> amounted to 4,000 bales, and each year since then 

 the total crop has beer more than double that of the preceding year, 

 with the exception of the 101 ^ crop. This <li<l not equal the 1911 crop 

 in size, due largely to the depressing effect of the low prices obtained 



1 Hllgard, E W. Cotton In California. & Ml of blitory of cotton planting In this State, 

 I Cult, v. 10, no. 23, p 691. L918. 



