400 AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BUSL, 1924. 



information that is needed with regard to the movement of hre stock 

 and live-stock purchases. We have also undertaken during this year 

 some increased work on the relation of transportation to agriculture. 

 We are getting, of course, some very marked changes in agriculture 

 in different parts of the country, due to the increase of transportation 

 charges, so we have selected one man. a trained economist, to devote 

 his entire time and attenticm to these studies on the relation of the 

 change of transportation rates to agriculture. 



There is an apparent decrease of S2.500, or thereabouts, in this, 

 but there is a transfer of two statutor}- positions that will make the a 

 same allotment for next year that we have for this year. 



Mr. AxDEKsox. Are you able to get enough data with regard to the 

 relationsliip of prices to transportation and location of agricultural 

 products to arrive at conclusions? 



Mr. Texny. I would say that the work has not progressed far 

 enougli yet for us to determine that fact. I believe that it is safe to 

 sav that a considerable amount of data can be made available that 

 should go a long ways toward answering some of those questions. 



COTTON HANDLING AND MARKETING. 



"Cotton handling and marketing" is the only cotton project in 

 the bureau in which we are asking for an increase, and in that there 

 is an increase of $10,000. This is the item under which we aim to 

 have a campaign on "know your cotton." through cooperation with 

 State extension services. We have a large number of groups of 

 farmers in the various parts of the Cotton Belt that employ a grader 

 themselves. We cooperate with them in selecting the grader and in 

 seeing to it that he (loes grade the cotton and give the staple on it 

 according to the United wStates grades. This is a means of training 

 the farmer to know the actual value of his cotton. 



Mr. RrcHANAN. To know the value of his cotton ( 



Mr. Texxy. To know the value of his cotton, and wo think that 

 with the big cooperative mevements in cotton, whether they are 

 successful or whether they do not succeed, the farmer must know 

 what he is producing and the value of the thing that he is producing. 

 This also goes back to the point of showing where our marketing 

 work links up very closely with our prochictive work. 



Mr. Bi'CHAXAN. Let me ask you one question there. Have you 

 ever given any thought as to whether or not the department ought to 

 make staple an essential ingrecUent in its "grades instead of making it 

 solely upon trash and color of cotton, or loreign substance and color 

 of cotton i 



Mr. Tennv. That matter, of course, has been giv(>n very careful 

 consiih'ration. 

 • Mr. BrcHAXAX. Staple is the most valuable element in cotton. 



Mr. Tenny. But, of course, cotton is sold now not only on its 

 grade hut on staple. 



Mr. BrcHAXAX. Yes; cotton is sold on sta|)le. Now, the buyei"s 

 have been buying from the farmer, disreganling staple and buying 

 the cotton on "the color and foreign matter in it. By that method the 

 farmers imve been beat out of millions of ilollars, the cottt)n farmers, 

 tenant farmers and others. I can name a lot of them right now that 

 have been beat out of a lot of money. They are getting wise to it 



