BUREAU OF MARKETS. 445 



COTTON WAREHOUSING INVESTIGATIONS. 



A series of tests to determine the practicability of gin sampling 

 and the extent of the damage sustained by baled cotton when exposed 

 to the AA-eather has been concluded and the results are being prepared 

 for the use of the public. Standard Avarehouse designs have been pre- 

 pared and persons adopting them are given the benefit of careful 

 cooperative supervision in an effort to promote the construction of 

 Avarehouses in accordance with the most advanced ideas. This Avork 

 should save insurance costs and should aid in obtaining better ware- 

 house service. A comprehensive bulletin on cotton warehouse de- 

 sign and construction is noAV in press. 



These investigations are directed by Mr. E. L. Nixon. 



INVESTIGATION AND DETERMINATION OF COTTON STANDARDS. 



This work was supervised by Mr. Fred Taylor, assisted by Mr. 

 D. E. Earle. 



On the 25th of October, 1918, grade standards were officially pro- 

 mulgated for Sea Island and American-Egyptian cotton and for 

 length of staple, this action being the result of careful investigations 

 undertaken in previous years. 



In Arizona and California investigations were conducted to de- 

 termine the applicability of the standards for American-Egyptian 

 cotton to the crop of the past season. These investigations showed 

 that the bulk of the 1918-19 crop conformed very closely to the 

 standards. Marketing and shipping conditions Avere studied and 

 laboratory tests were made to ascertain the moisture content and the 

 breaking strength of the individual fibers of this cotton. InA-esti- 

 gations also were made regarding its spinning qualities, waste, 

 breaking strength, and weights upon arrival in the East.. In the 

 course of this work approximately 10,000 bales of cotton were classed. 



A survey was made during the fiscal year at the principal market- 

 ing centers to determine the applicability to the past season's crop 

 of the standards for Sea Island cotton. Several thousand samples 

 were compared with the established standards and were found to 

 conform with them approximately, except in a portion of the lower 

 grades, Avhich Avere somewhat bluer in color than the corresponding 

 grades in the standards. Authentic information was gathered re- 

 garding the crop, prices received, and general marketing conditions. 



COTTON TESTING. 



The regular cotton-testing work of the Bureau was resumed dur- 

 ing the past year after completion of the tests which were made in 

 connection with the production of an improA^ed airplane fabric for 

 the War Department. 



Preliminary tests were made to determine the relative spinning 

 values of Sea Island and Meade cotton, which latter compares very 

 favorably with inland Sea Island cotton. 



A comparison was made of the manufacturing properties of " Mid- 

 dling Yellow Stained " cotton with an equal grade of cotton which 

 was harvested and ginned before the fiber had reached a normal state 

 of maturity, popularly known as " bolly " cotton. It was found that 



