14 BULLETIN 458, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
from waste, when grown in rich soil which is sufficiently irrigated 
and when the cotton has been carefully picked. The 1,;4-inch 
staple Durango cotton and the greater portion of the soft and wasty- 
fiber cotton grown in the Imperial Valley during the season 1915-16, 
was found to be volunteer or “ ratooned ” Durango. 
The Durango cotton of 14-inch staple may be produced by several 
different causes. Durango seed from 14-inch staple will reproduce 
cotton of similar staple, provided it is planted in soil of equal rich- 
ness, given the proper cultivation, and is sufficiently irrigated. The 
same rule holds good in the production of 1,4;-1nch, 14-inch, and 1,';- 
inch staple cotton from Durango seed. Cotton picked from bolls 
killed by frost will be found to be of weaker staple than that gath- 
ered from mature bolls. 
The various lengths of staple of Durango cotton may be attributed 
to the quality of the seed planted and the condition of the soil, such 
as soft, hard, or sandy loam, which determines the readiness of the 
soil to absorb water when irrigated and its capacity to retain mois- 
ture. It is very important that the land should be level, so it can be 
irrigated evenly, the water being distributed equally over the field. 
Tf the soil is of equal quality over such a field, the length of the staple 
of cotton grown therein will be uniform. When the length of staple 
varies in the same seed in the same ormin adjacent fields, it is usually 
because of a difference in the quality of the soil or because the land 
is not level, which prevents uniform irrigation. 
Studies indicate that the length of staple will deteriorate if the 
seed is planted in soil that 1s depleted of nitrogen and humus matter, 
or in soil which contains too much alkali. It is said that the staple 
will also deteriorate if the land has not been put into good condition 
beforehand, or if it is not well cultivated afterwards and given the 
proper amount of water. 
The Durango staple will increase in length, strength, and silkiness, 
provided the seed is planted in good, rich soil. A light loam that has 
been planted in alfalfa for several years and pastured and then put 
into good condition, cultivated well, and irrigated throughout the 
growing season should produce an excellent staple. There are rec- 
ords of Durango cotton grown in such land which stapled 1,3; inches 
in length and which sold at top prices in eastern markets. 
, MARKETING OF DURANGO COTTON. 
During the season 1915-16 Durango cotton of the Imperial Valley 
was marketed in various ways, the growers’ association utilizing ex- 
isting methods and also devising others of its own. 
1 Scofield, C. S., Kearney, T. H., Brand, C. J., Cook, O. F., and Swingle, W. T., Com- 
munity Production of Egyptian Cotton in the United States. U. S. Dept. Agr. Bul. 332, 
1916; see page 25. 
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