PRODUCTION OF AMERICAN EGYPTIAN COTTON. 1 
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., 14 to 12 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.—Numober of bales, estimated value of the lint, and estimated value 
of the seed of Egyptian cotton produced in the United States in the years 
1912 to 1917, inclusive. 
Estimated value— 
rotten 
int in 
eae Seren iy ee Gre eOntorel 
ales. int. f seed. crop. 
TUG TPS ei RN ies Ses ca ee a I ea ait NR a A i a 3875 $39, 000 $5, 000 $44, 000 
TOTS} i ere leks aR IEIE oet xc cn RS oe SoCal Par ot ot nea 2,135 197, 000 28, 000 225, 000 
TQ fa A OE an Me la a Poe ce RR cE a a 6, 187 483, 000 50, 000 533, 000 
TOURS eset Nk MIN ART ROU A UNIO 2A a epg i 1,095 119, 000 10, 660 129, 660 
BLOT Gee eter yee Re Re ew tie ph REIT UY IL OME IS AN aca u Pellet ley 2 ALG 3,331 699, 500 86, 400 785, 900 
HON Be SAS Se ARES ask RIS RS HRS ISAs cae he SO) it iy pee ae 15,966 | 5,482,000 619, 770 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 epable of irrigation both by gravity 
and by artesian water. This estimate is eka upon the bones that 
in order to maintain a well-balanced agriculturein 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 
800,000 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 
