MAKKETS AND RURAL ORGANIZATION. 



407 



STUDIES TOWARD FURTHER STANDARDIZATION. 



The tentative standards previously worked out for the Arizona- 

 Egyptian cotton have continued in trial use, and further studies have 

 been made regarding their practicability. These standards may be 

 promulgated officially if it is found that they are representative of 

 the crop produced during several seasons. 



Samples of cotton from all of the representative long-staple sec- 

 tions of the cotton belt have been collected; also other types which 

 represent the ideas of buyers, brokers, and cotton mills. These 

 samples are being examined with a view to developing standards for 

 length of fiber. 



Samples of Sea Island cotton have been secured from all of the 

 representative markets in order to study the practicability of stand- 

 ardizing this valuable crop. Samples showing the various stand- 

 ard types now being used by. the trade have also been secured for 

 reference. Under provisions of the United States cotton futures act 

 further studies have been made of cotton representing perished and 

 immature staple, and of gin-cut cotton, with a view to formulating 

 types representative of these qualities. Samples representing this 

 class of cotton have been obtained in connection with the standardiza- 

 tion of tinged, stained, and blue cotton. In addition a large number 

 of spot markets, and the future exchanges have furnished the office 

 with the types in use in their markets. 



COTTON TESTING. 



SPINNING TESTS ON COTTON STANDARDS. 



Spinning tests have been conducted at a commercial manufactur- 

 ing house at Fall River, Mass., on 109 bales of cotton, representing 

 the following five grades of the official cotton standards: Middling 

 Fair, Good Middling, Middling, Low Middling, and Good Ordinary. 

 The cotton was separated into two lots : (1) Cotton produced east of 

 the Mississippi and (2) cotton produced west of the Mississippi. 

 The tests were made in order to determine the comparative values of 

 the cotton of these grades by ascertaining the percentage of waste 

 and the tensile strength of the yarn and woven fabrics. 



The following table gives briefly a summary of the total percent- 

 ages of waste based upon the original net amount of cotton fed into 

 the opener: 



The following table gives briefly a summary of the tensile strength 

 in pounds per skein of 22's warp yarn ; 4.75 twist factor : 



