374 



THE FORAGE AND FIBER CROPS IN AMERICA 



as follows: barely fair, strictly middling fair, and fully mid- 

 dling fair. 



The term, strictly, is used to signify a grade half way between 

 the full grades, while the term, barely, signifies a grade inter- 

 mediate between the next higher full grade and the half grade, 

 and the term, fully, is used to apply to a grade intermediate 

 between the half grade and the next lower full grade. The first 

 of these intermediate grades is known as quarter grades. In 

 ordinary market quotations, quarter grades and some half 

 grades are not used. The markets usually recognize a differ- 

 ence between cotton from regions which are principally low 

 lands and river bottoms and that coming from uplands. The 

 former, known as gulf cotton, usually has slightly longer staple. 

 The following table gives the grades quoted on the New York 

 Cotton Exchange, and shows the range of prices due to differ- 

 ence in kinds and grades of cotton : 1 



Grades and Prices 2 of Cotton 



The middling grade is known as contract grade, since it is 

 customary to base all contracts for cotton on this grade, al- 

 though the cotton delivered may be of a different grade, the 

 price being adjusted to the grade furnished. 



475. Yield. The yield of cotton for four recent years has 



1 The prices given are for July 31, 1906. American Wool and Cotton 

 Reporter, Vol. XX, p. 991. 



2 Dollars per hundred weight. 



