COMMUNITY PRODUCTION OF DURANGO COTTON. 11 
The grower should produce the largest crop possible on his acreage, 
because of the high proportion of fixed charges. 
In addition to producing a big crop the grower must have it picked 
free of trash and ginned carefully, so that he will have smooth, un- 
damaged cotton in the bale. 
A good formula for the Imperial Valley grower to put into prac- 
tice in doing his share toward stabilizing the industry can be stated 
in a few words: Plant good seed of the Durango variety, produce a 
bale or more per acre, and pick it carefully. 
The production of a bale or more per acre of good middling cot- 
ton will be realized by growers only by the application of the best 
cultural and harvesting practices. These practices are listed below: 
(1) Thorough leveling of the land, so that water can be applied uniformly. 
(2) The maintenance of proper tilth conditions in the soil. This includes irri- 
gation previous to planting, to get the soil into good, moist, planting condition. 
(3) The use of pure Durango seed. 
(4) Careful preparation of the seed bed. 
(5) Planting not later than early May. 
(6) Securing and maintaining a full stand of plants. 
(7) Thinning the plants by the single-stalk method * when the plants are 6 to 
10 inches high and leaving them 8 to 10 inches apart in the row. This method 
has been found to increase the earliness and the yield. 
(8) Infrequent early irrigations, to guard against the overluxuriance of 
vegetative growth and to establish deep rooting. 
(9) Thorough and careful irrigation after flowering begins, to insure the 
normal growth of the plant and bolls and the steady setting of fruit. 
(10) Continued shallow cultivation, following each irrigation, as long as it is 
possible to get a horse between the rows. 
(11) Continued irrigation in the fall, in order to mature the late-summer and 
early-fall setting, which is the heaviest of the fruiting season. 
(12) Clean picking, to exclude leaves and other trash. 
(18) Careful ginning, to preserve the character and grade of the fiber. 
With the exception of two items, this program has to do entirely 
with the culture of the crop, on which the grower must expend his 
intelligence and energy. 
In the maintenance of pure planting seed, a basic necessity, he has 
the assistance of the long-staple cotton association, which has under- 
taken a plan to provide annually a large quantity of first-class plant- 
ing seed for the industry. 
To plant poor seed and spend a season growing a large crop of 
inferior fiber is a great dissipation of energy and represents a real 
loss of money. A large crop is synonymous with high quality only 
if good planting seed is used. With mixed seed the fiber is sure to 
show inferiority, even if a large crop is grown. 
To preserve the quality of the fiber he has grown and to insure a 
good grade, the grower must have the cooperation of the ginner or 
else have his ginning done by the association. 
1Cook, O. F. Single-stalk cotton culture. U. 8S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Plant Indus. [Misc. 
Pub yells Oedie peed 2 fig. 1914. 
