254 COTTON 



her of the Board, each individual computes sep- 

 arately his own estimate of cotton for each State. 

 When this is done comparisons are made and dis- 

 cussions are engaged in before the final figures 

 are decided upon. Each and every township, 

 county, and State is properly "weighted" so as to 

 give the arithmetical value which the acreage in 

 that area demands. On the completion of this 

 work, the report is ready to be given out, and goes 

 with lightning speed to almost every part of the 

 world. 



HOW THE COTTON REPORT IS ISSUED 



Reports on cotton thus prepared by the Crop 

 Reporting Board are issued on the 3d of each 

 month during the growing season. In order that 

 the information contained in these reports may 

 be made simultaneously throughout the entire 

 United States, and that one part of the country may 

 not have any advantage over another, they are 

 handed simultaneously at a given hour (as for ex- 

 ample, at 12 o'clock noon or 4 p. m.) on report days, 

 to all applicants, and are given to the Western 

 Union Telegraph Company and the Postal Tele- 

 graph Cable Company for transmission to the ex- 

 changes and to the press. These companies have 

 reserved their lines at a designated time, and by 

 use of a" flash" forward immediately the figures of 

 most interest. A mimeograph statement for com- 

 parative purposes, containing such estimates of 

 condition or actual production, together with the 

 corresponding estimates of former years, is prepared 

 and sent to a mailing list of exchanges, newspaper 

 publications, and individuals. The same after- 

 noon printed cards containing the essential facts 



