196 



THE AGKIUULTUKAL NEWb. 



JuMt 28, 1919 



COTTON. 



SEA ISLAND COTTON MARKET. 



The report of Messrs. Henry W. Frost & Co., on 

 Sea Island cotton in tho Southern States, for the 

 week ended May 31, 1919, is as follows: — 



ISLANDS. Since our last circular report ot May 10, 

 there has been a good demand (or Extra Fine, re.sulting in 

 the sale of the greater portion of the Planters' crop lots and 

 the limited offerings of the odd bags, at prices ranging from 

 62c. to 82c., f.o.b. and freight, the buying being on account 

 of the Southern Mills, and for export for France, the sales 

 aggregating about 200 bales. 



During the past week there has sprung up a demand 

 for the lower (grades, taking upwards of 150 bales on a basis 

 of -120. to 44c., f.o b. and freight, the buying being on 

 account of the Northern Mills. 



The un.sold stock is now very much reduced, and conf;ists 

 of crop lots of Extra Fine, aggregating about 200 bales and 

 odd bags of the lower grades, about 1.50 bales together with 

 some small lots of Medium Fine held off the market. 



We quote, viz: — 



Fine to Fully Fine, (S 53ic. to 55c. f.o.b. and freight. 



Extra fine (a62^c. to 82ic., f.o.b. and freight. 



GEOEGIAS AND FLORiDAs. The limited offerings have 

 continued in demand at hardening prices, there being an 

 urgent demand for the better grades. Extra Choice and 

 Fancy, of which the offerings are very small. There is a 

 very firm feeling prevailing, and the larger portion of the 

 unsold stock is being held off the market in expectation of 

 much higher prices being paid, before ihe next crop is 

 marketed. 



We quote, viz: — 



Extra Choice to Fancy, @ 55ic., f.o.b. and freight. 



Average Extra Choice, @ 54|c., f.o.b. and freight, 

 with only small offerings. 



The exports from Savannvh since May 10 have been to 

 the Northern Mills 9'.)9 bales. Southern Mills 140 bales, and 

 from .Jacksonville to the Northern Mills 152 bales. 



f'Ror ADVKjKs. Wf hive only to confirm what we have 

 previously advised as to the decrease in icreage planted. In 

 Carolina it is estimated that there will be 25 per cent to 30 

 per cent, less planted, and in Georgia about 50 per cent, less 

 than la.st year on account of the fear of the boll weevil. We 

 will have V> wait for the Government report before we can 

 get any very reliable information. However, there is no 

 doubt that the coming crop will fall much short of the last. 



N.B. — We will not i.ssue another circular report until 

 June 28. 



OFFICIAL COTTON STANDARDS OF 

 THE UNITED STATES. 



The develojiment of the American- Egyptian cotton in 

 the Salt Kiver Valley of Arizona and scune districts of 

 California has been referred to in several previous issues 

 of this Journal There are two varieties of this cotton 

 which are cultivated in these districts, namely ^'uma, 

 which has a 8ta|.lc from 1 ,\ to IJ inches in length, and the 

 Pima with a staple of from 1 ;; to 1 J inchfs. 



According to the Service and Regulatory Announcement 

 No. 41 of the Bureau of Markets of tin- United States 

 Department of Agriculture, it has been decided to replace 



the tentative standards for this cotton with the official 

 cotton standards of the United States. Hitherto the 

 grade-j of American- Egyptian cotton have been designated 

 by the names Fancy, Extra, Choice, Standard, and Medium. 

 In the Official Standards numbers are substituted for the 

 grade names — No. 1 tor Fancy ; No. 2 for Extra ; No. 3 

 for Choice : No. 4 for Standard ; and No. 5 for Medium. 



Furthermore, American- Egyptian cotton which in grade 

 is between any two of the standard grades, is designated 

 by the number of the higher followed by i ; for example, 

 cotton between grades No. 1 and No. 2 is grade 1.',. Also, 

 cotton inferior to grade No. 5 is designated as below grade 5. 



The grading and stapling of 2,100 bales of the 1917 

 crop were done, as is stated in an article in i,he 

 /«(//« Rubber World, May 1, 1919, fiom which the 

 foregoing information has been obtained, by a representa- 

 tive of the Bureau of Markets of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, and material was collected for 

 designation of types. The lengths of staple formerly known 

 l»y numbers are now designated by their actual measurements. 



According to the article referred to, standards for Sea 

 Island cotton are also established. As in the case of American- 

 Egyptian cotton, numbers are substituted for grade names in 

 the standards for Sea Island cotton : No. 1 for Fancy ; No. 2 

 for Extra Choice ; No. 3 for Choice ; No. 4 for Extra 

 Fine ; No 5 for Fine ; and No. 6 (or Medium Fine Sea 

 Island cotton which in grade is between any two adjoining 

 grades is designated, as in the ca.se of American- Eayptian 

 cotton, by the number of the higher grade foilowed by i. 

 Similarly cotton inferior to grade No. (i is designated aa 

 below grade 6. The length of staple will also be designated 

 by their actual measurements. 



As different methods of pulling staple nay cause 

 variations in result obtained by different classifiers, the 

 Bureau of Markets has devised a method, the adoption of 

 which it recommends in the document referred to above. 



MONTSERRAT : REPORT ON THE AGRL 

 CULTURAL DEPARTMENT, 1917- 18. 



Considering that the prosperity of Montserrat appears to 

 bo, at pre.sent at least, intimately related to the production of 

 superior cotton, the report under consideration is naturally 

 devoted to a larj^e extent to this crop. It may be said that 

 the scientific and careful efforts made by the ollicers of the 

 Department, in ni.iintaining and improving the good type of 

 Sea Island cotton now grown deserve spccinl commendation. 



There are three strains of Sea Island cotton under trial 

 in Monts Trat. These are being ex])erimented with in order to 

 ascertain what strain will give the most satisfactory return 

 both with regard to spinning tests «nd to field 

 characters, such as yield and resistance to di.sease. As Mr. W, 

 llobson, ihe Curator, says in his report, 'were the value of a 

 cotton from the grower's point of view to be decided on th« 

 value of the lint only, then spinning testa would once and for 



