MARKETING THE CROP 233 



into bales ana covered with a coarse bagging. The cost of the 

 ginning and baling processes is usually a dollar to a dollar and 

 a half per bale. The bales of lint each usually weigh about 500 

 pounds. When to be shipped long distances, particularly trans- 

 atlantic shipment, the bales are recompressed into smaller bulk. 



Marketing the Crop. The largest part of the cotton crop is 

 sold to local buyers, usually storekeepers. However, the larger 

 farmers may at times consign their crop directly to cotton mer- 

 chants in the larger cotton markets. 



Commercial Grades of Cotton. The selling price of cotton 

 varies within narrow limits according to the grade or quality of 

 the lint. Cotton when sold by farmers is usually graded by the 

 buyer, although in all later transactions between business firms 

 both parties to the sale decide on the quality of the staple. 



The points observed in grading cotton are the following: 



(1) Amount of sand and trash. 



(*) Color of the fibres. 



(3) Quality of ginning. 



The points observed in classing cotton are as follows : 



(4) Percentage of immature fibres. 



(5) Length and strength of fibres. 



(6) Dampness of the fibres. 



On the basis of these points, the relative values of which are 

 somewhat variable in different markets, the nine full grades of 

 American cotton are as follows : 



(1) Middling fair. (5) Middling. 



(2) Strict good middling. (6) Strict low middling. 



(3) Good middling. (7) Low middling. 



'(4) Strict middling. (8) Strict good ordinary. 



(9) Good ordinary. 



This range of grades covers practically all the white cotton 

 grown in an average season. 



Under the terms of the United States cotton futures Act, 

 each of the above standards is recognized as a full grade. Middling, 

 as the name indicates, is the middle or basic grade, and is the grade 

 upon which the market quotations are based. All grades above 

 middling should bring higher prices, and all below Middling lower 

 prices than that quoted for Middling, the amount above or below 



