' : - U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BUREAU OF PLANT [NDUSTRY— Circular No. 29. B. T. GALLOWAY, Chief of Bun EXPERIMENTS WITH EGYPTIAN COTTON IN 1908. THOMAS II. KEARNEY, Physiologist, WILLIAM A. PETERSON, Farm Supkrintenden: WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT I JJNIV OF FL LIB US DEPOSITORY BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. Physiologist and Pathologist, and Chief of Bureau, Beverly T. Calloway. Physiologist and Pathologist, and Assistant chic] of Bureau, Albert F. Woods. Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Erwin 1'. Smith, Pathologist in Charge. Fruit Disease Investigations, Merton B. Waite, Pathologist in Charm. Investigations in Forest Pathology, Haven Metcalf, Pathologist in Chargi cation and Truck Diseases and Plant Disease Survey, William A. Orton, Pathologist in Charge. Pathological Collections and Inspection Work, Flora W. Patterson, Mycologist in Cha Plant Life History Investigations, Waller T. Swingle, Physiologist in Charge. Cotton Breeding Investigations, Archibald l>. Shame! and Daniel N. Shoemaker, Physiolo- gists in Charge. i Tobacco Investigations, Archibald 1). Shamel, Wightman W. Garner, and Ernest II. Mathewson, in Chari Com Investigations, Charles P. Hartley, Physiologist in Charge. Alkali tn the end of the year 1907 wen* stated in Bulletin No. I2S of the Bureau of Plant industry, entitled "Egyptian Cotton in the Southwestern United States," by Thomas II. Kearney and William A. Peterson, which also discussed the cotton industry in Egypt, describing briefly the climate inn and the methods used in growing the crop and handling the product. The principal Egyptian varieties were described and statistics were given concerning Egyptian cotton as an impnrl into the i'nilcd stales. The present circular gives an aeeniiiit of the progress of the work since the publication of Bulletin http;//a'rehiVe'.drg/details7experim00unit 4 EXPERIMENTS WITH EGYPTIAN COTTON IN 1908. therefore made for Mr. ( ). F. Cook, of the Bureau of riant Industry, and two of his assistants, Messrs. Argyle McLachlan and Roland Meade, to spend several weeks at Yuma and Sacaton in the early autumn, studying the variations of this cotton in process of accli- matization. They had become familiar with similar phenomena in the course of their investigation of the behavior of Central American varieties of cotton when introduced into the United State-. Inci- dentally they made a careful study of the hybrids with Upland cottons that were present in the acclimatized stock of the Egyptian type. The services of Mr. John A. Walker, an expert classifier of Egyp- tian cotton, were secured in order that the fiber produced might be properly graded as it came from the gins. Mr. Walker distinguished six grades in the cotton produced at Sacaton and Yuma, basing the grades upon freedom from trash, upon length, strength, and fineni of the staple, and upon color and uniformity. In baling, the different grades were kept separate and great care was taken to have the con- tents of each bale as uniform as possible. In all. about 12 bales were obtained, which it is proposed to market under such circumstances- as will give a fair idea of the profits to be expected from tins type of cotton in the Colorado River region. While the results of the experiments in 1908 were in the main favorable, further experimental work will he necessary before the seed can safely lie distributed to farmers. Considerable diversity in the growth of the plants and the quality of the fiber appeared at the different localities where experiments were made, indicating a need of adjustment to local differences of soil and climate inside the region f in which this strain of cotton lias already become acclimatized m a general way. Much of the fiber was shorter and less uniform, espe- cially in length and color, than could he desired, showing that the plant-breeding work m carried farther before a stock of seed suitable for placing in the hands of farmers is secured. It is also highly important that we know more about how to irrigate Egyptian cotton before definite advice on this subjeel is offered. Experience has shown that the form and size of the plant (upon which the yield largely depends) and the quality of the fiber are very sensitive to differences in frequency and times of irrigation, but more pre: knowledge < point is needed. The following discussion of the results of last year's experiments is prefaced by a statement regarding the volume and value of the imports of Egyptian cotton into the United State- in 1908 and by a report on spinning tests made by manufacturers with the fiber pro- duced at Yuma in L907. [Cir. 29] I XPERIMEXTS Willi EGYPTIAN t'OTTOM IN L9l ."> IMPORTS AND PRICES OF EGYPTIAN COTTON IN 1908.'' Iii order to justify the continuance of experiments looking to a ssible establishment of Egyptian cotton culture in the Southv where the cost of labor and transportation are exceptionally high, it inii-1 lie -how 11 that there i> a continued heavy demand for this type of cotton and that the prices paid for it are sufficiently high to afford reasonable expectation of good profits from growing it. Fur- thermore, it must he shown that Egyptian cotton commands a consid- erable premium in the market over ordinary American Upland col- ton if the former type i- to he given the preference by southwestern farmers interested in cotton culture. In a preceding publication '' statistics were given of the total im- port- of Egyptian cotton into the United State- during the ten years from L898 to 1907, inclusive, and of the average prices of Egyptian and Middling Upland cottons on the Boston and Liverpool markets during the same period. During 190S, 01,511,723 pounds of cotton, valued at $11,500,009, were imported into the United States direct from Egypt, and 53,412 pound-, valued at $1,007,287, the great hulk of which was doubtless Egyptian cotton, were imported by way of the United Kingdom. The direct import- of Egvptian cotton in 1908 were about S,000,000 pound- heavier than the average for the preceding ten year-, although about 17,1 pounds lighter than in 1907. The comparative dullness of the cotton market last year is doubtless chiefly responsible for this decline in the impor The average price paid on the Boston market for all grade- of Egyptian cotton imported during l'.Hls was Is. 07 cent-, as com- pared with 11.11 cents for Middling Upland. The average prices of Egyptian and Middling Upland cottons on the same market dur- ing the ten year- from 1898 to l'.'OT. inclusive, were 15.3 cent- and '.».."> cent-, respectively, while in 1907 the average price- were 21.9 cents for Egyptian and 11.8 cent- for Middling Upland. There was a general fall in the price- of both classes of cotton during the year 1908, and in February, 1909, the price of Egvptian had reached an average of 15.09 cents and that of Middling Upland 10.25 cents on the Boston market. It will lie noted, however, that the premium Middling Upland commanded by Egyptian cotton.' which ranged from I to Id cent- during the year- IS97 to 1908, was still about :. "'flic figures here given were furnished by the Chief of the Bureau of Sta- tistics, raited States Department of Agriculture. ''Bulletin No. 1 L's of the Bureau of Plant Industry, entitled "Egyptian Cot- ton in Hi.' Southwestern 1'nited States," [>. i'.".. Tables I and 5. ' 'There is a well-known tendency in the cotton market to lower the premium paid for high-class cottons when the price of Uplands is declining. I eh- 29 J 6 EXPERIMENTS WITH EGYPTIAN COTTON IN 1908. cents in February. 1909. It should also be noted that the prices of Egyptian cotton quoted are those of the average and not of the besl grades of the INI it Aiifi variety imported into the United States, the latter ranging- from 2 to 3 cents higher, while the Jannovitch variety brings from 4 to 6 cents more than the average for Mit Afiti. If cotton of the Egyptian type is to be grown in the Southwest the production of a quality comparable in value with the highest im- ported grades is the goal to be kept steadily in view. The crop of 1908 in Egypt is estimated to amount to between 625,000,000 and OoO.OOO.OOO pounds, or nearly 100,000.000 pounds less than that of 1!)07. The smaller yield is attributed chiefly to unusually low temperatures and excessive atmospheric humidity during the early autumn. SPINNING TESTS OF 1907 FIBER. Small samples of the Egyptian cotton grown at Yuma in L907 weir sent to a considerable number of manufacturers in order to obtain their opinion of its quality and value. The results of their examina- tion are summarized in Bulletin Xo. 128 of the Bureau of Plant In- dustry, pages 41-15. In order to test this cotton more thoroughly. samples of 200 pounds each were sent to three of the American mills which manufacture large quantities of imported Egyptian cotton. with a request that spinning tests be made. It will be interesting to quote in detail from the reports on these tests, which have recently been completed : The first mill reported as follows: Upon receipt of the sample of Arizona cotton we immediately put it in process of manufacturing and find it a very satisfactory cotton in every way; and in all of the various operations we produced about 28 per cent of waste, this being very close to what we take out in our regular Egyptian cotton. The cotton spins well up to 110s Ailing. The (Us warp yarn sizes 63.30, breaks at 33$ pounds, with 33.7 turns twist per inch. This is the same twist that we use in spinning Peeler cotton, our regular Egyptian cotton sizes 64.10, breaks at 2Si pounds, having 37 turns (wist. Peeler cotton sizes . breaks al 35 pounds, with :::',. 7 turns per inch twist. What we refer to as lots filling really sizes 102.7, breaks at 1.'! pounds, with 27.:!7 turns twist per inch, mis rilling made of Peeler cotton actually sizes lots, breaks at 133 pounds, same number of turns twist: as the above. The cotton runs full 1§ inches staple, maybe nearer 1 ,',. inches, and according to our superintendent is good for warp yarn running from 65s to 7(ts and filling yarn up to 100s to 104s. The spinning qualities are very similar to those pos sessed by Peeler cotton. The waste is not excessive. In general appearance it is very close to Egyptian, but. we think, lacks a little of the smooth and silky feel. This mill furnished a very interesting series of samples of roving, yarn, and sliver from the Arizona-grown cotton, and of sateen and [Cir. L'n | PERIMENTS WITH EGYPTIAN COTTON IN L90 plain cloth in which either Peeler or Sea [sland fiber wns used for the warp iiiul the Arizona cotton for the filling. From the second mill the following report was received: Yon will note thai for No. ."ids yarn the Arizona cotton is better than the Brown Egyptian which we use for thai number, bill when we come to spin ns yon will note that ii is uol as good as Jannovitch, second quality. . when we couie t<> spin No. inns, you will notice thai in the single yarn the breaking strength of the Arizona is ls.m. againsl IS.92 for our Janno- vitch, first quality; whereas in the Gray Thread the breaking strength of Arizona is 19.0, and Jannovitch, first quality, 21.3. Taking the cotton as a whole, we class ii much better than the regular Brown Egyptian, bul not as good as Jannovitch, although this cotton might do very well for cloth mills for line numbers up to, say. l los. The waste is practically the same as Jannovitch. The third mill furnished the following statement: We ha\c tested the Arizona-grown seed cotton, and beg to reporl that we find the cotton lighter in color than the average Brown Egyptian. The staple has a slightly harsh, rough feel, is very lofty, anil does not lie down in the processes as the average Mil Aflfi Egyptiau. The staple runs from 1' to li inches. Owing to its length we have found ii necessary to put it through machinery under full Sea Island setting, in consequeuce making more waste than should be had there Keen quantity enough of the cotton to make it practicable to adjust the machinery to its best needs. The yarns are smooth. even, and elastic, and the break of I he average No. 22.44 is 135 pounds at humidity of .",;> per cent. This is 1!i pounds stronger than a good Mil Alili cotton and about '2 pounds weaker than a good Georgia-grown Sea Island. We are very much pleased and impressed with the cotton, and could it be grown in quantity and in quality equal to sample it would be valuable for our class of products. If we -urn up the opinions of these three firms, wo find them to be decidedly favorable as regards (he quality of the Arizona-grown cotton. It i- therefore no longer a question whether a good grade of cotton of this type can he produced in the Southwestern Slates. The problem thai remain- to he worked out is whether the economic conditions of the region will ju-ti fy farmer- in undertaking the grow- ing of any kind of cotton. RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS IN 1908. EXPERIMENTAL FIELDS \ T "» I MA AM) SACATON, ARIZ. At Yuma about 5 acres of sandy loam soil, the same land used for the experiments in L907, was planted to Egyptian cotton in L908. The land was divided into a number of small plots, ranging in size from 1 acre to less than one-tenth acre, which were used for the plant- breeding nursery and for tests of the yield and quality of fiber from various lots of the acclimatized seed. Experiments were also made to test different distances of planting, differenl times of planting, [Clr. 29] 8 EXPERIMENTS WITH EGYPTIAN COTTON IN 1908. and the behavior of newly imported seed of the Mil Alili and Jan- novitch varieties as compared with the acclimatized stuck. The entire held was flooded on February 26. Most of the plots ire planted from March ID to 13, and thinned from April 11 to L5, and again from May 15 to 21. Most of them received five irrigations after the seed was put in, but some were watered only three or four times. From three to six cultivations were given on the different plots. The number and dates of the pickings di tiered widely. The two plots which yielded at the heaviest rate per acre were picked four times, the first picking having been made September lid — -25 and the last picking December 18-1!). At Sacaton," on the south bank of the Gila River, about 30 miles southeast of Phoenix, the cotton was planted on a sandy loam soil in two fields about one-half mile apart. One held was planted March 24—30 and the other April 3-4. The first Held was nearly new land, which had borne previously only two crops of grain, while tin' second was an old alfalfa field. The preparation was alike in both, the land having been plowed, harrowed, irrigated, disked, and har- rowed before planting. The preliminary irrigation was by Hood ing — one field March 17-18 and the other March 24-26. Subsequent irrigations were by furrows, except the second irrigation on a section of the first held, which was by flooding. The cotton was planted in rows 5 feet apart, the hills 2| feet apart in the rows. The different sections of the two fields were irrigated from three to live times after planting. During the months from April to November the total rainfall at Sacaton was V>.3 ( J inches, of which 2.16 inches fell in duly and -J. 31 inches in September. COMPARISON OK IMPORTED AND ACCLIMATIZED SEED. In a previous publication 6 attention was called to the poor per- formance of Egyptian cotton when first grown in the Southwestern States as compared with the results after several year- of acclimati- zation. In 1908 seed of the Mil Alili and Jannovitch varieties ob- tained directly from Egypt was planted alongside the acclimatized stock, which was derived originally from the Mil Alili variety, but which had been grown for six years in the Southwest. This experi ment furnished additional evidence of the importance of acelimat i/.a- " Mr. E. w. Hudson, superintendent el' (lie farm on the Pima Indian Reser- vation, managed by Hie Office el' Plant Life History investigations in co operation with the Indian Office of the Department of the [nterior, had im- iiate charge of the work al Sacaton. The data here given are taken from his detailed report on the season's work. ''Bulletin No. 12S, Bureau of Planl Industry, pp. 38 •':'•'. [Cir. 20] EXPERIMENTS WITH EGYPTIAN COTTON IN It) ! lion, the newly imported seed giving decidedly inferior results as regards both yield and quality of the fiber. DIFFERENT BEHAVIOR OF Mil. DIFFERENT PLANTINGS. Considerable diversity in the shape and productiveness of the plants, as well as in the quality of the fiber, was manifested in the different localities where the cotton was grown in 1908, although the same general stock of acclimatized seed was everywhere used. This diversity was doubtless parity due to the widely differenl dates of planting (March L0 to dune I), to the differenl preparation of the land, and to differenl methods of irrigation and tillage practiced in the various localities. Part of it. however, is probably attributable to differences in climate and soil. A particularly striking case was a small planting made at Coa- chella, near [ndio, Cal. All the plant- in this one-tenth-acre plot, though grown from the acclimatized stock of seed produced at Yuma in 1907, made an erect, spindling growth with few branches, similar to that of plant- grown at Yuma from one of the lots of newly im- ported seed. Individual variation was suppressed to a remarkable degree, all the plant- resembling each other much more closely than in an\ other locality. This seed was planted late (April 27), yet not nearly SO late a- at other localities, where the usual amount of diversity appeared and where the shape id' the plant- w a- very different. Nor could it he learned that t hi- treatment of the plot with respecl to irrigation and other cultural details was in any way except tonal. Such behavior indicate- that special precautions to secure local adjustment may he required in each of the principal irrigated val- leys where Egyptian cotton i- to he grown, in addition to the general adaptation to the region secured by six years of acclimatization and -election in the SoiltllWest. ■> ii in-. A total of aboul fi.000 pounds of fiber, or li ; American halo-, was produced in the experimental field- at Yuma and Sacaton. The best yield obtained at Yuma was at the rate of 2,158 pounds of -ceil cotton or t .< > i pounds of lint per acre. i. e., about 1.' American bales, a- compared with practically 2 American hale- from the best- yielding plot iii 1907. The difference i- partly due to two severe windstorms, which blew much of the ripe cotton out of the bolls, Estimated mi a kisis of 28 per rent of lint, which was the actual percentage fur the entire crop a! Sacaton. The actual yield in the above ease was 153 [tounds "i seed cotton from one-fifth of an acre. 77 im; Cir. -•' 09 2 10 EXPERIMENTS WITH EGYPTIAN COTTON IX 1908. causing an estimated loss of from 2.5 to 35 per cent of the total crop. It is probable that the yields also suffered from the less favorable autumn temperatures of 100N. the month of October especially hav- ing been notably cooler than in 1007. In L908 the earliest killing frost occurred in the Yuma Valley November 25, while in 1907 a killing frost was not experienced until December 10." Inability to obtain water for irrigation at critical periods in the growth of the plants likewise affected the yields adversely. The total yield from the 19] acres grown at Sacaton was 5,000 pounds, or 10 American bales; hence, an average of slightly more than one-half bale per acre. This yield was unexpectedly low. but a variety of causes combined to produce the result. The chief of these were: (1) A heavy rain just after one of the fields was planted and the presence of the root-rot fungus and of root lice, which in- jured the stand to some extent. (2) Insufficient moisture in the soil, some parts of the fields having been kept too dry throughout the summer. (3) A wind and rain storm on September 8, which caused much of the ripe cotton to be lost. (4) An unusually early killing frost, most of the leaves on the cotton plants having been killed on October 21, when the temperature fell to 28° V. b At least one-half of the crop was lost as a result of these various circumstances. Of the total amount of fiber produced at Sacaton, 45.6 per cent was obtained in the first picking, 35.7 per cent in the second, and 18.7 per cent in the third. Since nearly half of the total crop was harvested at the first picking, while on the different plots at Yuma in 1907 only from 17.5 to 32 per cent of the total yield was obtained "For further comparison of the temperature at Yuma in the autumns of 1907 and 1908 it may be noted thai the absolute minima at the main Weather Bureau station at Yuma, which is situated on considerably higher land than where the cotton was grown, were as follows: 1907. 190S. October (on the 29th), 53° F. October (on the 19th), 38° F. November (on tin' 21st), 34° F. November (on the 29th), 30° F. December (on the 19th), 34° F. December (on the 21st), 34° F. At the substation in the Yuma Valley, where the conditions are similar t those on the experimental cotton farm, the absolute minimum for October, 1908, was 30° F. on the 29th, and for November it was 24° F. on the 29th. The monthly mean temperatures at the main station were as follows: 1907. 1908. September 82.2" F. September 82.6° F. October— 72.7° F. October 68.3° F. November— - o2.t>° F. November U2.3° F. December 56.4° F. December 53.1° F. &The minimum temperature on the same night at Phoenix was 11 !•'.. while the absolute minimum recorded for the month of October at Phoenix is :>*>' I'. [Cir. 29] EXPER1 MINIS wiiii EGYPTIAN COTTON in L908. 11 at t lie first picking, u is clear thai the later ripening portion of ili«' crop ni Sacaton was far belovi what it should have been in a nor- mal season. The average percentages of lint in the seed cotton at Sacaton were as follows for the several picking*: Firsl picking, 28.2; second pick rig. 20.4; third picking, 26.5. The average for the entire crop was 28 per cent. ol Mil "i OK III I. I IB] R. Six grades were distinguished by Mr. John A. Walker in classify- ing the fiber produced at Yuma and Sacaton in L908, as follow-: 1. Staple I i, to l ' inches, "extra line." silky. 2. Staple l i.. i" i inches. ::. Staple 1 3 Incl t. Staple I', In I : , inches. 5. Staple \ I tn l 1 inches. 6. Staple 1 1 in H inches, .liny. The percentages of the total product at the two localities repre- sented liv each grade arc a- follow-: 1. 2 t :;. 1. ">. - ■ Per cent. 36.0 7.1 - .5 The fact that the two highest grades, which were almost wanting ai Sacaton. are comparatively well represented at Yuma is attributa- ble chiefly to the fa<1 that most of the fiber included in these grades was picked from the best row- in the plant-breeding nursery, winch was located at Yuma. This cotton was, of course, the most highly selected id' all that was grown in L908. The best fiber at Sacaton was obtained at the third picking of the plants -elected here and there in the fields to furnish --('(I for the 1909 planting. On the whole the L908 fiber was somewhat inferior in length to that produced at Yuma in 1907. Then- was. however, evidence of a general tendency to a shortening of the length re- garded as satisfactory, it is believed to be desirable to produce a longer staple in the Southwest. That there is reasonable hope of accomplishing this may be inferred from the fact that on the 110 provisional -election- of individual plants made in the breeding nursery at Yuma the average length of staple was 1 !j indie-. As regards other qualities, the strength and fineness were generally satisfactory. The color was in the main somewhat lighter than in 1907. Luster was generally deficient. It was observed that the fiber in newly opened bolls is satisfactory in this respect, but the gloss soon disappears, probably because of exposure to the extremely dry air of the region. The gradual deterioration in the silky feeling of the fiber. is probably due to the same cause. It may therefore he found desirable to pick the cotton as soon as possible after the bolls open. This will largely depend upon whether the price is sufficiently enhanced to warrant the increased expense of the more numerous pickings. It would doubtless aid in preserving the luster and silki- ness of the fiber to store it both before and after ginning in as cool a room as can be had and. if precautions are n>ed. to moisten arti- ficially the atmosphere of the storeroom. Both at Yuma and Sacaton the fiber from the third picking was invariably superior in length and fineness and generally in strength to that from the first and second pickings. As a rule, the second picking yielded better fiber than the first. 6 This is probably due. at least in part, to the fact that the bolls of the first crop open through- out September and much of the ripe cotton remains exposed for a considerable period to the very dry. hot air of that month. The fourth picking at Yuma (made December L8-23) yielded very long and silky but weak and wasty fiber. This was probably furnished in great part b} 7 unripe frost-opened bolls. PLANT-BREEDING WORK. At Yuma the work of selection in the breeding nursery, which was planted with seed from the very best plants selected in L907, was continued as in previous years. The object of this work is of course to increase the productivity and the length, strength, fineness, and other qualities of the lint, so that if the industry becomes established "A further advantage of frequent picking would he the greater cleanness of Hi.' lilicr. since dusl would have less opportunity to accumulate in it and there would lie less trash, the \al\es of the hells and (he invohieral bracts being less dry and brittle when the picking is done. Moreover, there would he a smaller less et seed cotton from the open bolls on accounl of windstorms. ''At Sacaton all of the first general picking was placed by Mr. Walker in his fourth grade, while part of the second and all of the third went into his third grade. [Cir. l".)| EXPERIMENTS Willi EGYPTIAN COTTON IN 11*08. 13 in the Southwest superior seed, capable of producing a grade of fiber that will command the highest prices paid for this type of cotton, will be available. Tun row- in the nursery, each grown from a single selected plant of L907, showed decided superiority over all the others, both in the number of exceptionally fine individual plants (seeds of each of which were saved separately for planting in the breeding nursery in 1909) and in the high quality of the hulked fiber from the remaining (unselected) plants. One of these rows represents the Mil Alili type, having fine, crinkly fiber of a pronounced brown color. The other has long, silky 7 , almost white fiber and approaches more nearly the Abbasi type. Plantings of the hulk seed from several of the best rows will be made this spring, and seed from the progeny of those rows which most successfully maintain their high quality will be in- creased as rapidly as possible with a view to future distribution to farmers. In all. L10 prov isional selections of individual plants were made at Yuma in L908, the best of which will be retained for planting the breeding nursery in L909. The preference will be given to plants from row- having a high " projected efficiency," i. e., in which the highest percentage of good plants occurred. The average length of fiber for the 1 1 < > selections was l!:j inches. A length of \ : ; inches in imported Mil Aliti cotton i- considered very satisfactory. Since the cotton showed considerable variation at Sacaton as coin- pared with that grown from the same stock of seed at Yuma, it was considered desirable to make numerous -election- of the best indi- vidual plant- at Sacaton also, the >n:<] from which will he planted there in a nursery this season on the "plant-to-row" system with :i \ iew to obtaining an improved -train or strains better adapted to the local conditions in that pari of the Gila Valley. In addition to these, seed from several hundred plants that were above the average in yield and quality of lint was mixed together for the genera] plant- ing in L909. To keep thi- high-bred cotton up to standard it will he necessary to practice continuous -election of seed. Intensive breeding by careful -election of the very besl individual plants will probably have to he carried on either by governmental institutions or by a few of the besl farmer- in each locality who make a specialty of the produc- tion of superior seed. Bui every farmer can practice -election to a certain extent, and by doing SO can probably avoid going oil' his own farm for seed for several year- at a time. All that is necessary i- to go through the field before the first picking and mark with rags or in some other way the mosl productive plants having a g 1 quality of fiber. These can then be picked and ginned separately and the kept a pari from the general crop for next year*- planting. 14 EXPERIMENTS WITH EGYPTIAN COTTON IN 1908. PLANTING DISTANCE. Experiments were made at Yuma to determine the effect upon the yield and quality of the fiber of different planting distances. The distances tested were: (1) The usual Egyptian distance 2^ feet be- tween the rows and 16 inches between the hills; (2) J4 feet between the rows and 2 feet between the hills: (3) 5 feet between the rows and 2^ feet between the hills; (4) feet between the rows and 3 ice! between the hills, the last distance being that followed in all the other plantings at Yuma. Owing to variation in the soil moisture in the different plots, due to imperfect leveling, differences of tex- ture, and the accidental escape of irrigating water in some cases, no satisfactory conclusions could be drawn from these experiments. Some plots or portions of plots were too wet and others loo dry during much of the summer to permit of a fair comparison. Ap- parently the yields were as heavy where the wider planting distances were used as where the rows and hills were closest together. IRRIGATION METHODS. Further experimenting is necessary before any definite recommen- dations can be made as to how to manage the irrigation of Egyp- tian cotton on the different soils of the region. Experiments with furrow irrigation were made at Sacaton, and Mr. E. W. Hudson reports that the results were satisfactory. His method consisted of " plowing a furrow on each side of each row and allowing the water to run through until the ground between the furrows was saturated." Mr. Hudson further states: l * This appears to be a great improvement over flooding, because the entire surface does not cement together." PRODUCTIVENESS IN RELATION TO TIME OF PLANTING AND RATK OF IRRIGATION. The way in which Egyptian cotton plants develop is largely influ- enced by the time of planting and by the amount id' irrigation they receive. Mr. O. F. Cook points out thai the effect of external condi- tions upon the yield is increased by the fact that the cotton plant has two distinct kinds of branches. The fertility of the plant depends in great measure upon the early development of the special fruiting branches. Experiments were made at Yuma to determine the effect of plant- ing at different dates during the spring. The result showed clearly that planting as early as the weather permits gives the best results. Some farmers planted Egyptian cotton in the Colorado River region in 1908 as late as April 20 to dune 1. Without exception these late- planted fields produced a crop id' bolls on the upper part of the plants [Cir. 29] EXPERIMENTS Willi EGYPTIAN COTTON IN LiMW. 1 .") only, giving probably not more than one-third to one-half of the yield thai would have been obtained had planting been (lone at the right time. When the seed is put in so late that practically the entire development of the plants takes place during the hottest part of the summer there is a rapid, weedj growth of the main stem and o1 large sterile branches. This sometimes prevents the formation of the fruiting branches on the lower part of the plant. In other cases, although such branches arc formed, they arc short and weak and may die and drop off lie lure the bolls ripen. 1 fence no " bottom crop '" is obtained. The results obtained in L908 make it evident that Egyptian cotton plants are extremely sensitive to fluctuations in soil moisture and that the yield and quality of the fiber depend largely upon the way irri- gation i- managed. Excessive application of water in the early stages of growth, especially if the cotton has been planted late, causes the plant- to shoot up into a tall, spindling, unfruitful form. A sparing use <»l water during the firsl period id' development induces a better growth of these lower fruiting branches. But there is danger that if the economy of water i- earned too far the plant- may become too much dwarfed in growth, setting only ; i few -mall bolls, which often open prematurely and produce short, weak, coarse fiber. During the hottest part of the summer, when the cotton i- in bios som and the bolls arc setting, a too sparing use of water check- the growth of the whole plant and particularly causes injury by hinder- ing the development of bolls on the upper part of the plant. The -oil should certainly not be allowed to gel so dry that the wilting which normally take- place during the hottest part of the day becomes conspicuous and the plant- are -low to recover their fresh appearance a- evening approaches. The productiveness of the plant- is -ure to be injured by a cessation of development >\\\r to lack of moisture in the -oil. followed by the sudden stimulus to growth caused by a heavy irrigation. A steady, even development of the plant, especially after the bolls begin to form, is the ideal to lie kept in view . i R( >--! \i. Willi OTHER \ U.'ir.l n -. The lack of uniformity in the cotton plants and liber manifested in 1908 wa- further accentuated by the presence of numerous hybrids wnli Ipland varieties. In L906 and L907 several plots of Upland cotton- were grown alongside the experimental held of Egyptian cotton at Yuma in order to test their productiveness ami general adaptability to the region in close comparison with the hitter. The belief was generally current at that time among cotton breeder- that the percentage of hybrids produced under these condition- would be [Clr 29] 16 EXPERIMENTS WITH EGYPTIAN COTTON IN L908. too small to be of practical importance. It ha.s been found, however. that the conditions at Yuma are exceptionally favorable to the carry- ing of pollen from one plant to another, the cotton flowers being visited by several species of bumblebees and other Hymenoptera in large numbers. As a result, in 1907 and again in 1908 numerous hybrids appeared among the Egyptian plants. The elimination of this hybrid element from the acclimatized Egyptian stock is one of the most serious problems in connection with the experimental work. Fortunately some of the be^t selections appear to have largely escaped contamination and are behaving in a very uniform manner. These will be relied upon as the basis of pure strains. Otherwise, acclimatization of freshly imported seed musi be resorted to, and with this possible contingency in view care- fully isolated plantings of new seed of the leading Egyptian variet ies will be made at Yuma this year. The practical lesson to be drawn from the occurrence of these hybrids is that growing any other type, and especially Upland, in the proximity of commercial cultures of Egyptian cotton i- hound to result in disaster to the latter. The presence of Upland varieties in the neighborhood will make it impossible to secure pure seed of Egyptian cotton. While the fiber of the first generation hybrids is often excellent, it differs from Egyptian cotton iii length, color, and texture, and hence when mixed with the latter lowers the uni- formity of the product. The commercial value of Egyptian cotton largely depends upon its uniformity, and this is ohe of the chief reasons why it is so highly prized by spinners. Furthermore, the fiber of hybrids of later generations is usually very inferior to that produced by first-generation plants. DISEASES ANli INSECT ENEMIES. The only disease- that appeared in the Egyptian cotton in 1908 were a few small spots at Sacaton, due to the root-rot fungus (Oso- nium omnivorum) and a mild attack of damping-off, caused by fungi of the genus Rhizoctonium, which appeared early in April on the seedlings at Yuma and Sacaton. Koot-rot is well known in irrigated districts in the Southwest as the disease which causes bare spots in alfalfa fields. A- it also attacks cotton, badly infected alfalfa fields should not he planted to the latter crop. Mosi of the plants in the spot- al Sacaton died late in the season, after they had made nearly their full growth and pro- duced many bolls. Mr. Hudson states that the spots did not appear to increase in size during the period of growth of the cotton crop. [Cir. 29] EXPERIMENTS WITH EGYPTIAN COTTON IN 19 17 Deep fall plowing previous to planting cotton will probabh greatly mitigate the severity of the attack of this fungus." The daniping-oft' fungus, which appeared before thinning had been done caused comparatively little damage to the stand in cither local- ity and did uol seem to have affected the later growth of the plants. In some seasons, however, this disease may necessitate more or less replanting. Thorough plowing and perfect tilth, so as to secure good acrai ion of the soil, are recommended as a mean- of reducing the damage from damping-off. Mr. YV. A. Orton points out that Egyptian cotton i- particularly susceptible to tin- bacterial disease known a- " black-arm." the presence of which in a locality would almosl certainly prevent the establish- ment of this promising industry. It i- therefore of the greatest im- portance that no cotton seed be brought into the Colorado River region unless it i- positively known that the seed was grown in a locality entirely free from this disease and that there has been no opportunity for infection in transit. Fumigation or disinfection of the seed can not be relied upon to destroy the germ of this disease. The only injurious insect noticed in 1908 was a green aphis. plant louse, which appeared at Sacalon in dune on the root- of many of the plant-. A -mall percentage of the infested plant- died, appar- ently as a direct re-ult of the attack- of this insect. The presence of the cotton-boll weevil would undoubtedly be ex- tremely disastrous to Egyptian cotton culture, since the length of the season during which the bolls are formed on this type of cotton and the -hading of the ground, due to the large size of the plant-, create peculiarly favorable condition- for the multiplication of this insect. The weevil has not yet appeared in the Colorado River region, but its introduction may take place at any time, since farmer- are -eciirino- seed of Upland varieties in the heart of the region where t ! i- prevalent, due State of California issued a quarantine order last spring, requiring all cotton seed brought into the State to he inspected and fumigated by the State horticultural commission or by the county commissioners of Imperial. San Diego. Riverside. San Bernardino, or counties, acting as their deputies. A- yet. however, no iptiou of this disease ami recommendations for controlling ii see the papers by « '. I.. Shear and George F. Miles, published as Bulletin No. 102, pari 5, Bureau of riant Industry, entitled "The Control of Texas Boot-Hoi of Cotton," 1907, and Circular 9, Bureau of I'laui Industry, entitled "Texas Boot- Cotton: Field Experiments in I'.mT." I'.ios. '' W. L. Balls, in yearbook of the Khedivial Agricultural Society (Egypt) for i pp. 93 to 111, describes a treatment of the seed with naphthaline and gyp- sum bef< re planting, which he lias found efficacious in destroying the the fungus. 18 EXPERIMENTS WITH EGYPTIAN COTTON IX L908. quarantine law exists in Arizona, although last year the agricultural experiment station inspected and fumigated all cotton seed known to have been brought into the Territory. ALKALI KKSISTAM I . In a portion of one of the fields at Sacaton there was so much alkali present in the soil as to prevent a stand being obtained. Examination of the soil around the scattered plants occurring there showed that a good growth, numerous bolls, and a fair quality of fiber can be pro- duced by exceptionally resistant individuals in the presence of from one-half to 1 per cent of total salts in the first 3 feet of the soil. The preponderating salt was sodium chlorid, or common salt, but with considerable sodium sulphate and sodium bicarbonate present — the type of alkali that is most common in southern Arizona and south- eastern California. This indicate- a considerable tolerance for alkali on the part of the Egyptian cotton plant, since it is well known that saline soils in which sodium chlorid form- the greater part of the alkali are more injurious to most crop plants than the type in which sodium sulphate predominate-. No plants grew at Sacaton in place- where the average amount of alkali in the first 3 feet of soil was as high as 1.7 per cent. While resistant individual plant- can produce a small amount of fairly good fiber in the presence of from one-half to 1 per cent of alkali, it is probable that land containing considerably less than one- half of 1 per cent must be selected in order to obtain anything like a full stand and the best quality of fiber. The actual limit of safety remains to be determined. Apparently Egyptian cotton i- somewhat less resistant to alkali than the Upland varieties, although more information is needed on this point also. Examination of the bulk fiber obtained from the portion of the held where alkali was present in noticeable quantity showed that the staple was decidedly shorter than elsewhere at Sacaton. running II, to 1 J inches in the first and second pickings and 1| to 1$ inches in the third: hence, averaging nearly or quite one-eighth inch shorter than the fiber grown on soil containing no appreciable amount of alkali. There also seemed to he a tendency to a greater development of fuzz ■ on the seed- of Egyptian cotton in alkali soil. PRESENT OUTLOOK FOR EGYPTIAN COTTON IN THE SOUTH- WESTERN STATES. Region where the best results hare been obtained. Egyptian cotton requires a long season for maturing a full crop. The part of the United States where, from present indication-, the greatest success [Cir.29] EXPERIMENTS Willi EGYPTIAN COTTON IN 1908. L9 can be expected is the Colorado Iviver region in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California, including the valleys of the Salt, Gila, and Colorado rivers and the Imperial Valley. It has been demon- strated that large yields of high-grade fiber can lie produced under irrigation in thai region. Extreme southern Texas, especially the lower Rio Grande Valley, i- probably suited for Egyptian cotton so far as climate is concerned, but the presence of the boll weevil, to which tlii-- type of cotton falls an easier prey than any other, make-; its successful culture t lie re very doubtful under existing condition-. Advantages over Upland cotton. — It is almost certain that if cot- ton growing can be made commercially successful in the extreme Southwest it must be on the basis of some superior long-staple type which commands a premium over Middling Upland. The average price paid for the Egyptian cotton imported in 1908 represents a premium of nearly 7 cent- per pound. I nder irrigation in this region, fully a> large yields appear to be obtainable from Egyptian as from Upland varieties. The cost of the operation- necessary to produce, a crop, with the exception of harvesting, i- not greater for Egyptian than for Upland cotton. The increased cost of picking, due to the small bolls and lame size of the Egyptian plants, is much more than counterbalanced by the greater value of the product. / collision of other cotton. — No other cotton should be grown in a locality where culture of the Egyptian type is to be undertaken. Experience has shown that in the Southwestern States Egyptian cot- ton crosses very readily with Upland varieties if grown anywhere in the neighborhood, and the result i- a rapid deterioration of the Egyp tian fiber, the product suffering in uniformity by reason of the differ- ent length and white color of that from the hybrid plants. Uni- formity more than any other one quality determines the price paid for Eg\ ptian cotton. Furthermore, intermixture with the large fuzzy seed- of the hybrids makes clean ginning difficult. Hence, any com- munity of farmer- desiring to undertake the growing of Egyptian cotton should see to it that no other type of cotton is planted in their vicinity. Wilm of a local reputation. — It will prove an immense advantage to any locality producing this high-class fiber if buyers learn to identify the locality with the type produced, knowing that in a par- ticular valley they can depend upon securing a certain good quality of Egyptian cotton and no other. The name of such a locality will ultimately become associated with the grade produced, as i- now the case in Egypt, where cotton coming from certain provinces i- given the preference by buyers, owing to the general high reputation of part icular districts. [Clr. U'.>| 20 EXPERIMENTS WITH EGYPTIAN COTTON IN 1908. Extensive planting at -first should h, avoided. — Public opinion should be educated in every possible way as to the undesirability of handling Egyptian cotton as a "bonanza" crop. In view of the scarcity and high price of labor in the Southwest, farmers should proceed very cautiously in planting cotton. A very small area will be sufficient to teach the would-be grower how the cotton behaves in his locality, how he must irrigate and cultivate it to secure a good yield and satisfactory quality of fiber, and what the prospects are for get- ting a larger acreage picked at reasonable cost. Problems of trans- portation and marketing still remain to he worked out. It is prob- able that even if all these problems are satisfactorily solved the indi- vidual fanner should avoid extensive plantings. A few acres on each farm, which the farmer's own family can care for and pick, if neces- sary, will be a much safer investment. If Egyptian cotton finds a place among the agricultural industries of the Southwest, it will he as a money crop from which a sure bui moderate profit may he expected. Its safety lies in its not being a perishable product which must be rushed to the market as soon as it is harvested, regardless of market conditions. Community action essential. — In establishing Egyptian cotton cul- ture in any locality cooperation among a number of growers will be essential. In order to market the product to advantage it will lie nec- essary to produce a greater quantity having a uniform quality than any single farmer is likely to grow. Much more favorable terms can he secured from buyers if large numbers of bales of the same type and grade are sold together. Furthermore, a number of farmers by join- ing forces can purchase the machinery needed for ginning and baling the cotton, which it is out of the question for each individual farmer to do. Necessity of excluding diseases and. injurious insects. — Since (he presence of either the cotton boll weevil or the bacterial disease known as "black-arm" would in all probability put a stop to any effort to grow Egyptian cotton, communities proposing to undertake its culture should take every precaution to prevent the introduction of these pests. The safest plan will he to exclude rigorously ah obtained in localities whose freedom from both the weevil and the disease can not he definitely ascertained. Disinfection of the seed may keep out the weevil, hut can not prevent the introduction of " black-arm." SUMMARY. During the year 1908, 61| million pounds of Egyptian cotton were imported into the United States. The average price paid for this cotton on the Boston market in L908 was L8.07 cents per pound, as [Cir. 29] I M'l U MINTS WITH EGYPTIAN COTTON IN L908. '_' 1 compared with 11.11 cents for Middling Upland. The total value of the clirecl importations from Egypt was more than $11,500,000. Spinning and weaving tests of the fiber produced al Yuma. Ariz., in 1907 were made by three American mills which use large quanti- ties uf imported Egyptian cotton. The consensus of the reports .in these tests indicates that the acclimatized Mil Alili grown in Arizona compares favorably with the better grades of this variety imported from Egypt. In 1908 about 10 acre- were planted to cotton of the Egyptian type in the Colorado River region in southern Arizona and southeastern California. Nearly half of this acreage was on the Pima Indian R ervation at Sacaton, Ariz. Direct comparison of the behavior of Egyptian cotton from newly imported seed with that from seed grown for several year- in the Southwest gave further evidence of the necessity for acclimatizing this type of cotton before good yields and a high quality of fiber can be secured. Considerable diversity in the shape and productiveness of the plant-, as well as in the quality of the fiber, was manifested in vari- ous localities in the Colorado River region where the cotton \ grown in 1908, although the same general stock of seed was every- where used. This indicates the need of local adjustment in different part- of the region. The highest yield obtained in 1908 was at the rate of 1 ', American bales per acre on a one-fifth-acre plot on the experiment farm at Yuma. At Sacaton the average yield for the 19 acres grown was slightly over one-half bale. Unfavorable weather condition- and a temporary shortage of water for irrigation are chiefly responsible for the low yields as compared with those obtained in 1907. The fiber was graded by an expert as it came from the gins and care was taken in baling to have the contents of each bale as uniform as possible. An effort will be made to market the 12 bale- obtained under such condition- as to give a fair idea of the probable commercial value of this cotton in the Colorado River region. The liber produced in 190S was on the whole somewhat shorter than that grown in 1907, ami the average color was somewhat lighter. The strength and fineness were generally satisfactory. Experiments at Sacaton with furrow irrigation indicate that at lea-t under some condition- thi- method may give better results than flooding. The development of the branches which bear the boll-, and conse- ently the productiveness of the plant-, was found to be largely in- ■ncr<\ by the time of plantim* and the way in which irrigation is managed. Marly planted cotton gave in all cases the best yields. [Cir 22 EXPERIMENTS WITH EGYPTIAN COTTON IN 1908. Between the times when the bolls have begun to form and the first crop ripens, water should never be withheld so long that the develop- ment of the plants is severely checked. A steady, even growth is the ideal to be kept in view. In the Colorado River region Egyptian cotton hybridizes very readily with Upland varieties. The fiber borne by the hybrid plants, although usually of excellent quality, differs in length, color, and texture from that of the pure Egyptian plants and hence injure- the uniformity of the product. A good stand and good quality of Egyptian cotton can only be expected on land containing less than one-half of 1 per cent of alkali in the first :; feet of the soil, although exceptionally resistant individ- ual plants will produce a fair quality of fiber in the presence of one- half to 1 per cent. Approved : James Wilson, cretary of Agriculture. Washington, D. C March 16, 1909. [Cir. 20] o UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 3 1262 08928 9481