UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 457 



Contribution from Office of Markets and Rural Organization 

 CHARLES J. BRAND, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



November 24, 1916 



RELATION BETWEEN PRIMARY MARKET PRICES 

 AND QUALITIES OF COTTON. 



By Fred Taylor, Cotton Technologist. 



CONTENTS. 



Introduction 1 



Method of investigation 2 



Average prices of cotton by mSnths for the 

 States covered by the survey 2 



Variations in the price of middling cotton in 

 the same market on the same day in differ- . 

 ent States in the cotton belt 6 



Paga 

 "Round-lot" sales 7 



Average staple lengths and average prices for 

 each length of staple for the different States 



and for the entire belt 8 



Marketing tinged and stained cotton 10 



Suggested economies in handling and mar- 

 keting cotton „ 12 



INTRODUCTION. 



Producers of cotton have claimed for years that certain markets 

 have discriminated against their product and that frequently within 

 the same market intrinsic worth was disregarded and cotton was pur- 

 chased on averages, all grades bringing the same price. That such a 

 system works to the detriment of the farmer who exercises care in pro- 

 ducing and harvesting his crop is generally admitted. To discover, if 

 possible, whether there was any foundation for such reports the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture in 1912-13 conducted a survey of Oklahoma 1 to 

 secure accurate information as to the exact conditions under which 

 the farmer of the western belt marketed his cotton. 



So many interesting and unusual conditions were revealed by this 

 survey that the Office of Markets and Rural Organization started an 

 investigation in the season of 1913-14 to cover the entire cotton belt, 

 for the purpose of ascertaining the manner in which cotton is handled 



Note. — The survey here described, which should be of interest to all who are connected with the cot- 

 ton industry, was supervised by Fred Taylor, Cotton Technologist; and the grading and stapling was 

 done by D. C. Griffith, Investigator in Cotton Marketing; J. G. Martin, Investigator in Cotton Marketing; 

 and R. W. Murray, formerly Assistant in Cotton Marketing. The period covered by this study was prior 

 to the date when the cotton futures act became effective. 



1 Sherman, W. A., Taylor, Fred, and Brand, Charles J. Studies of Primary Cotton Market Conditions in 

 Oklahoma, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bulletin No. 30, 1913. 

 61288°— Bull. 457—16 



