550 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



ers as a means of conducting its grading demonstrations in the most 

 effective way. 



In the course of this work efforts are made to educate producers 

 regarding tlie value of classing cotton before sale, the use of market 

 quotations, the growing of better varieties of cotton on a community 

 basis, the depressing effect of inferior staple upon prices, and the 

 losses incident to improper ginning, baling, and storage. They are 

 encouraged to organize for the purpose of securing the benefits of 

 community production and marketing of superior cotton. 



During the cotton season of 1919-20 approximately 220,730 bales 

 were classed in Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, North and South Caro- 

 lina. This work has shown most strikingly the need for more general 

 adoption by communities of a single superior variety of cotton and 

 has made it evident that no marketing association can secure the full 

 benefits of organized effort unless it is handling dependable quanti- 

 ties of a standardized product. 



These demonstrations have been attended with most encouraging 

 results ; for example, it is conservatively estimated that the farmers 

 of Texas, on account of this educational work, received over a million 

 dollars in premiums for their cotton crop of 1919. At some of the 

 South Carolina towns in which classers were located, it had been the 

 custom to buy all cotton as short staple, but during the past season 

 cotton classed in the course of these demonstrations as a full inch or 

 longer was sold at a premium, thus bringing into the hands of the 

 producers thousands of dollars more than they could have gained 

 under former conditions and emphasizing the desirability of selling 

 according to actual class, A further result in this State has been 

 the withdrawal from the field of many so-called " scalper " buyers 

 whose profits depend largely upon the ignorance of the grower as to 

 the class and value of his cotton. 



INVESTIGATIONS AND DEMONSTRATIONS OF COTTON STANDARDS AND COTTON 



TESTING. 



Investigations and demonstrations of cotton standards and cotton 

 testing were also directed by Mr. D. E. Earle. The spinning tests 

 were conducted in cooperation with the New Bedford Textile School 

 at New Bedford, Mass., and the North Carolina State College of 

 Agriculture and Engineering at West Raleigh, N. C. 



Tests to determine the comparative spinning qualities of Meade 

 and Sea Island cotton indicated that Meade was 5 per cent more 

 " wasty " than Sea Island. Tests are also being conducted to deter- 

 mine the relative strength of the Meade and Sea Island cottons, but 

 they have not been completed. The results thus far obtained seem 

 to indicate that in the higher counts the two kinds of cotton are 

 approximately of the same strength. 



Tests conducted in Arizona indicated that Pima cotton stored 30 

 days or longer was from 5 to 15 per cent stronger than that ginned 

 immediately upon picking, depending upon the size or number of 

 yarn spun. 



Tests conducted to determine the relative value of Pinia cotton 

 grown in California as compared with that in Arizona indicated 

 That Arizona cotton was from 7 per cent to 20 per cent stronger than 

 tlie California cotton, depending on the number of yarn spun. 



