HARVESTING AND MARKETING COTTON 123 



1. 



2. 



3. 



ABOVE MIDDLING 

 Fair 



Barely fair 

 Strict middling fair 

 Fully middling fair 

 Middling fair 

 Barely middling fair 

 Strict good middling 

 Fully good middling 

 Good middling 

 Barely good middling 

 Strict middling 

 Fully middling 



BELOW MIDDLING 

 Barely middling 

 Strict low middling 

 Fully low middling 



5. Low middling 

 Barely low middling 

 Strict good ordinary 



4. Middling Fully good ordinary 



6. Good ordinary 

 Barely good ordinary 

 Strict ordinary 



7. Ordinary 

 Low ordinary 

 Inferior 



The amount and size of the trash in cotton lint deter- 

 mine, to a great extent, its grade. Finely divided trash 

 is much more objectionable than large leaves. In fact, 

 very little deduction is made for a small amount of large 

 trash. 



Grades and subdivisions of grades above strict good 

 middling are comparatively rare. The bulk of the white 

 cotton grown in an average season in the United States is 

 classed as either good middling, middling, or low middling. 

 The time of picking is important in determining the grade 

 of cotton. The high grades are composed largely of cotton 

 from the first picking. This is usually harvested in late 

 summer, before unfavorable weather sets in and con- 

 sequently the lint is cleaner and has a brighter luster. At 

 this time the leaves are still green and therefore trash is 

 less abundant. 



The medium grades come largely from the second pick- 

 ing. There is a tendency for the open cotton to be left 

 on the plants longer and heavy dews or rains affect it 

 adversely. The process of alternate wetting and drying 

 injures somewhat the color of the lint. Leaves are de- 



