BULLETIN OF THE 



No. 36 



Contribution from the Office of Markets, Charles J. Brand, Chief 

 November 15, 1913. 



STUDIES OF PRIMARY COTTON MARKET CONDI- 

 TIONS IN OKLAHOMA. 1 



By Wells A. Sherman, Assistant in Market Surveys; Fred Taylor, Cotton 

 Technologist; and Charles J. Brand, Chief, Office of Markets. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The system of handling and marketing cotton in vogue to-day is 

 largely a series of steps added by various cotton interests to the old 

 methods, when wagon and water were the only means of transporta- 

 tion. Upon this has been grafted a series of complications intro- 

 duced by various cotton interests. As cotton culture has overspread 

 the prairies of Texas and Oklahoma interior buyers have become an 

 important factor, and interior concentration points have been estab- 

 lished for their convenience. Some of the methods now prevailing 

 are due wholly to the influence of the exchanges; for example, the 

 daily change of limits and the difference sheets for grades. The 

 trade conforms to certain requirements of each class of carriers, 

 compressing being for the special advantage of the railroads, while 

 patching is necessary to meet the requirements of ocean carriers. 

 Some practices are modified to meet the wishes or rules of foreign 

 exchanges, as the quantity or weight of tare. 



Thus we see specific provisions are made to meet the needs or 

 demands of everyone who is interested in the cotton, except those of 

 the grower at one end and the spinner at the other. In short, prac- 

 tically every feature of our handling and marketing system is re- 

 tained because of the insistence of some one of the numerous middle 

 men and carriers, who have at best only a temporary interest in the 

 cotton. 



1 The market survey here described was planned and supervised by Mr. Charles J. 

 Brand while Physiologist in Charge of Farmers' Cooperative Cotton Handling and Market- 

 ing, Bureau of Plant Industry. The organization, general management, and execution of 

 the work was done by Mr. Wells A. Sherman, assistant in Market Surveys, while the 

 actual grading, stapling, and recording of the samples was done by Mr. Fred Taylor, Cot- 

 ton Technologist. State Agent W. D. Bentley, Farmers' Cooperative Demonstration Work 

 In Oklahoma, gave much helpful assistance during the progress of the work. 



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