COTTON 49/ 



v r alue of the cotton, taking into account the large pro- 

 portion of lower grade cotton, probably did not exceed 

 10 or 12 cents per lb., even with the high prices pre- 

 vailing in 1913; this means that the labour cost of picking- 

 alone is from one-fourth to one-fifth of the value of the 

 cotton. 



The total labour cost of the crop, as will be seen from 

 the statement on p. 502, worked out at about $9*78 per 

 acre. Estimating the crop at 200 lb. of lint per acre at 

 12 cents per lb., and taking into account the value of the 

 seed, which at that time was not more than $20 per ton, 

 the proportion of the labour cost of the crop to its total 

 gross value ($28) is just under 35 per cent. 



Two other illustrations may be given of the serious 

 handicap imposed upon cotton growing in America by 

 the cost of labour. Since the advent of boll weevil to 

 the Mississippi Valley, where the best types of long 

 staple cotton were grown, the Government experts of 

 the Bureau of Plant Industry have devoted themselves 

 to the selection or breeding of varieties which combine 

 length of staple with good yield- and early maturity; the 

 latter is essential if the cotton is to evade the worst 

 ravages of boll weevil by maturing at least a fair pro- 

 portion of the crop before the weevil appears in its 

 full strength in August and September. One type in 

 particular, known as Durango, seemed to be specially 

 suitable, but was found to possess a drawback which 

 militated greatly against its general adoption, namely, a 

 peculiar ingrowing habit of the lint in the boll which 

 rendered picking slower and more difficult. This was 

 enough to make the negroes practically refuse to pick 

 the cotton, except at prohibitive rates, and the result is 

 that the experts have been practically compelled to con- 

 tinue the work of selection until they can find some other 

 variety which will combine the advantages of the Durango 

 with the open growing character of the ordinary Upland 

 cotton. In other words, America must select its cotton 

 to please the negro. 



Again, during the last few years great hopes have been 

 entertained of the development of entirely new cotton- 

 growing areas much farther west than the existing Belt, 

 and practical success has already been achieved in two 



