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Saturday, March 12, 1910. California's Land of Cotton New Industry of Vast Importance to State Established by Success of Cot' ton Growing in the Imperial Valley. More Than Twenty Thousand Acres to Be Planted This Year. A hew industry of vast importance to Southern California has been es tablished and the economic problem of Imperial Valley has boon solved by the successful growing and market ing of cotton during the season of 1909. About 800 acres were seeded, but only abo >: 500 acres were culti vated and picked. ■ Many fields were neglected and left without water be cause they were only experiments and many farmers lack tho persistence to carry an experiment through to the end if they are not sure of its suc cess, but the fields that were prop erly cared for proved that more than a bale to the acre can be depended upon as an average crop and that thorough cultivation and intelligent management will produce two bales on fairly good soil. The total crop of 1909 was 373 bales. It is difficult to estimate the cot- GOV. GILLETT, GEN. CHAFFEE AND PAItTY IN A COTTON PATCH. ton acreage of 1910 at this time, but it appears reasonably certain that not less than 20,000 acres will be planted with a possibility of anything up to double that area. The actual results obtained by some growers last year justify the con fidence with which the valley fann ers are going into the cotton-growing business on a large scale this year. First Year's Results J. R. Loftus planted 160 acres at Meloland, part with Texas seed and part with Georgia seed. The total crop was 178,530 pounds of s«ed cotton, producing 54,660 pounds of lint or 109 bales of 500 pounds, 49,- OW* pounds of Georgia seed and 75, flOft pounds of Texas seed. The cost of planting and cultivating was $8 an acre; picking, one dollar a hun dred pounds of seed cotton; ginning, $5 a bale; hauling, one dollar a ton. Mr. Loftus sold his cotton in ad vance at 12 cents a pound, while other growers received from 13 to 14 cents. The account stands thus: Planting and cultivating $1,280 Picking 1,785 Ginning 545 Hauling — 89 v Total Cost $3,699 Cetton sold, 54,660 lbs at 12c $6,559 Seed, Georgia at 5c 2,450 Seed, Texas at 3c "2,250 Total value ..$11,259 Net Profit 7,560 Net. per acre 47.25 Had Mr. Ix>ftus held his cotton for the market and sold at the price re ceived by the other growers, his pro fit would have been $820 more, or $53.30 an acre. Part of the planta tion produced better than a bale to the acre, but tho average was re duced by the areas of poor stand and late planting. There is no question that with the experience gained las^ year the careful grower can depend upon more, than a bale to the acre. Mr. Loftus is planning to plant 2000 acres this year and will put the seed into the ground between April 16 and the middle of May. W. S. Wilkinson and F. W. Waite planted 55 acres and picked 42 bales of cotton. They received $2,835 for their cotton and the value of the seed is $1260 making a total of $4095. The expenses were: $550 for cultivating and hauling, $672 for picking and $210 for ginning; total, $1432, leaving a net profit of $2,663 or $48 per acre. Ten acres, less a trifle, were .plant ed by J. F. Buttram. The crop was 7437 pounds of lint, or fill pounds less than 15 bales, which was sold for $67.50 a bale. The seed, at three cents a jKHind, pays expenses, leaving a net profit of $100 an i acre. The yield was a bale and a half to the acre. On the VVilsie ranch 100 acres of cotton were planted from April 1 to July 3 in experimental tracts. Part of the land produced a bale and a half to the acre and other parts not enough to pick. The latest plantings still show unopened bolls. The crop picked produced 57 bales, which sold for $3S9S.SO. The seed is worth $2000. The cost of growing, picking and gin ning was about $2500, leaving a profit of $3398, or close to $34 an acre av eraging the entire tract. The American Nile The soil and the climate of the des ert of the Colorado, which includes Imperial Valley, the delta below the Mexican line and parts of Arizona, are better suited to the cotton plant than are the conditions in any other region except the valley of the Nile. In no other part of the United States has the Egyptian variety of cotton been grown with any success, but it grows here even better than in its home. It has been known ever since the first settlement of the valley that the cotton plant grows thriftily in irri gated desert soil, but the first definite demonstration of the suitability of the PROGRESS' AND OPPORTUNITIES EDITION soil and climate to cotton production was made by Irn A ten on his ranch near El Centro in 1906-7. Mr. Aten planted about half an acre of south ern cotton and allowed the locks to remain In the opened bolls through the winter. No serious injury was done by wind or rain. The crop of 1907 was allowed to remain on the stocks like wise, and its condition in tho winter convinced visiting Texans that this valley was the beat cotton country In the world. The Ten Thousand Club took up the cotton question and called a meet ing of farmers to start a concerted movement toward extensive planting of the weed. Texans talked to the farmers and convinced them that the crop would pay better than canta loupes or other perishable products, but. those that had not lived in a cot ton country hesitated to agree to plant cotton until assured that a gin would be provided to prepare the crop for market. At. the suggestion of the president of the Ten Thousand Club the American Nile Cotton Company was inconibrated to import seed and put up a gin, and the announcement that responsible ' citizens had taken that step gave confidence to the farm ers and induced them to undertake the experiment of cotton growing on a commercial scale. The results of the first year's experiment justify the faith of the Texans who talked cot ton so convincingly. Manufacturing There "are 500,000 acres in Imperial Valley and at least '250.000 acres in the delta below the boundary that can be irrigated and cultivated. Any con siderable part of this area devoted to growing cotton would supply raw ma terial for many large mills, employing thousands of persona and adding enor mously, to the wealth and commercial importance of Southern California. The cotton Tiiill at Oakland works up about 15,000 bales of cotton in a year and of fers to take 10,0(K» bales of the valley product- The Oakland mill makes only special fabrics and does not use as much lint as does a cloth mill. Cotton means to lx>s Angeles and San Diego opportunity to become great manufacturing cities and commercial ports. The coast ports need not wait for canals to place them in touch with the markets of Central and South America and the Orient. They may obtain raw material from Imperial Valley at low transportation cost. No region has cheaper fuel than has Southern California, and Los Angeles has in Owens River the greatest wat er power for electricity available to any large city on the Coact. There Is great profit in manufac turing nnd handling the by-products of cotton, and the farmers of Imperial Valley propose to secure that profit for themselves instead of permitting others to exploit them. The growers have incorporated un der the laws of California the Im perial Valley Oil & Cotton Company with a capital of $150,000 divided in to 10,000 shares of the value- of $15 each. The shares are to be issued only to, growers of cotton in payment for seed cat the rate of . $15 a ton or one , share for each ton of seed from this year's crop pledged* and mortgaged to' the company a security for nores given by the growers. , Cotton-Seed Oil Mill The company will manufacture cot ton-seed oil, meal and feed; put. up and operate gins, compress and ware houses; assist the growers in mar keting cotton, furnish assistance in planting and cultivating the crop and give such expert supervision as may be needed and desired by the grow ers. The value of a ton of cotton seed worked up into oil and meal runs from $30 to $40. When oil sells at 50 cents a gallon, the value of the products of a ton of seed is $38.60. The whole sale price of oil in Los Angeles is now 65 cents. The cost of manufac turing the by-products of cotton in Texas mills is $3.50 per ton of seed. It may be a little higher here because of the higher cost of power for opera tion of mills. But it is considered safe to estimate the average profit from seed, over the price of $15 a ton and the cost of manufacture, at $5 a ton. Possibly 20,000 acres of cotton may bo planted this year. Estimates run as high ns 30,000 acres, but a large , percentage of "falling down" on the part of Intending planters' must be anticipated and there will be failures to mature the crop this year as there wfl-e last year. If 20,000 acres are planted it will be safe to count on abrmt 15,000 acres, but some will neg lect cultivation and irrigation and pick next to nothing and so reduce the average It may be safe to figure on 7000 tons of seed and if all that is subscribed for stock the resources of the company will amount to $105,000, which is sufficient for the installation and operation of the proposed plant. Stock subscriptions at the meeting at which the company was organized amounted to $27,000. ! v Farmers in Business If the project works out half as well as it seems to promise, It will bo a big thing for the grower of cot ton and put the industry upon a solid basis in Imperial Valley. The directors of tbe company for the first year are: J. H. Loftus, of Lob Angeles, president; n. O. Wills, Hruwloy, vice-president; L. E. Brack, [Hebef, secretary; E. B. Dennett, Cal jexico; George A. Carter, El Centro; . \t. V. Fnmsworth, Imperial; I. L. Bond, jnoltvllle; Ira Aten, El Centro; A. F. ' Andrado, Mexlcall. The company's I principal place of business Is El Cen tro, where the first oil mill will be located. ; Tho company is to be conducted by growers for their own benefit nnd to secure to them the profits to be de rived from the byproducts of cotton. PICKING FIRST CROP OF IMPERIAL COTTON Its affairs are to be managed by di rectors chosen by the stockholders and the operation of its plants is to be en trusted to experts, all of whom are to be paid for their services on busi ness principles. It is believed that the settlers of Imperial Valley are capa ble of demonstrating that it is pos sible for farmers to conduct busi ness on business lines. AMERICAN NILE COTTON CO. California's newest industry, cotton glowing, has been a pronounced suc ceed in its first season and the Am erican Nile Cotton Company, of which Joseph R. Loftus, the well known realty dealer, property owner and col- ] bnlzer, is president, wa-3 formed in the spring of 1909, to promote the industry in the great Imperial Valley. The company under his management purchased 30,000 pounds of Texas cot ton seed and 2 tons of Georgia cot top ?eed, which was sold at cost to farmers in the valley who were pre vailed upon to try cotton growing as an experiment. More than 450 acres were sowed last year and every grow er was more than satisfied with the results obtained. Before the crop was ready for gin ning, the American Nile Cotton Com pany installed a modern gin in a building adjoining the railroad tracks. The most improved type of cotton gin ning machinery was installed, the gin having a capacity of a bale every half hour. A charge of a cent a pound was made for ginning and baling the cotton and returning the seed to the grower. The results were highly sat isfactory to the patrons of the com pany as well as to the owners. Not only does the company intend to grow a big crop, but through as sociation with a strong Eastern firm, they have made arrangements to ad vance money to cotton growers, and applications approved by the American Nile Cotton Company or the Joseph R. Loftus Co. (Inc.) will be accepted at the banks from those growers who wish an advance in order to get in the crop. Such enterprise as this hat; marked the policy of the com pany since its inception. IMPERIAL'S GREAT INDUSTRY (San UK-go Union) The announcement that the cottou growers of the Imperial Valley will be given all necessary support by large financial concerns la gratifying, but not surprising. Capital is always ready to enter a field where a fair re turn is assured. The first season of cotton- growing on a commercial scale In tne Imperial country has bad r«. suits that have convinced the most sceptical that the staple can be pro duced there In enormous quantity, anfi that It will prove one «f the most profitable crops in the United States. The people of tbe valley have Ueen prompt to see their opportunity and to take advantage of It. Entirely satis fled with the first Reason's returns, they have set to work to establish on. a firm foundation the new industry (hat is to be carried on there, which promises to become a wealth producer scarcely sec6nd to the great citrus fruit industry of Southern California. They purpose to have their own gins, com press plants, an oil mill ami refinery. It is at this juncture that ample funds - seeking profitable investment are made available for the settlers to use in their enterprise. The outcome is flat tering, but not surprising. The Imperial Valley is fortunate in xany ways', but. la none iv it more fa vored than in the adaptability of its soil and clin:ate to the production' of ' cotton. For there are few crops pro duced in America that have so good 'records are money makers as has^that staple. ; It should be remembered, too, that fihe iia'peirlal Valley has a tremendous: advantage over most cotton growing regions of the south. Its soil is not worked out, and will produce for years a much larger crop than is usually. obtained elsewhere. A bale to the acre i is considered a large yield on many southern plantations, and, as they av erage, it is obtained on a comparative ly few acres. During the past season as high as two bales to the acre was raised on part of the land planted to cotton in the Imperial country, -and that at least a full bale for every acre planted was not gathered was not the fault of the soil or climate of the With the confidence that tbe suc cess of the past season has caused, and with the assurance, now given, that all needed capftal will be readily obtainable, the people of the Imperial country will proceed to establish an Industry that should soon become one of the greatest wealth producers of the state. COTTON OIL IN BUTTER Sveral of the largest newspapers de voted to Norwegian dairy and farm interests have published an article which explains that farmers may ma terially increase tho quantity and quality of butter produced by 'the use of cotton seed oil. The cotton seed oil hastens the coming of the butter, as- », Mists in the butter collection, ami lm proves tho quality of both the butter and the buttermilk. This sliK-hl addition of cotton-need oil cannot be eouuidejred aa an adul* teratiou to tbe butter, sluce tbe in. crease in butter yield Is Uuo largely to the fact that the *ll «auses a the extraction of tbe butler tat from the milk to be more complete, and the In crease in butter weigh* in due to the more complete extraette*, m*>re go than to the slight aintuut »f tb» cot ton seed oil added. 5