UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 375 



Contribution from the Office of Markets and Rural Organization ^^ 

 ^^i^-^^^ CHARLES J. BRAND, Chief iv^'^^t. 



Washington, D. C. 



August 9, 1916 



DISADVANTAGES OF SELLING COTTON IN THE 



SEED. 



By Charles F. Creswell, Scientific Assistant. 



CONTENTS. 



Introduction 1 



Method of investigation 3 



Outturns from seed cotton at gins 4 



Conversion of seed-cotton price to the equiva- 

 lent lint-cotton price 6 



Elements that determine the price of seed 



cotton. 7 



Variations in prices of identical grade of lint 



cotton when sold unginned 9 



Prices received for the lowest and highest 

 grade bales in the same market during the 

 same week 10 



Irregularities in prices received for the lint 

 content of seed cotton 12 



Prices received for lint cotton compared with 

 equivalent lint prices of seed cotton 14 



A study of conditions in a specific locality. . . 16 



Conclusions 18 



INTRODUCTION. 



The practice of selling cotton in the seed, while not as prevalent 

 as in the early days of cotton production, is still preferred by many 

 producers and constitutes an important factor m the marketing of 

 the cotton crop. 



In regions where cotton is not grown in sufficient quantities to 

 attract regular buyers, the custom of marketmg unginned cotton 

 enables the producer to make a ready-cash sale of any amount of seed 

 cotton that he may bring to the gin. However, in most markets, 

 practically the only advantage accruing to the farmers, as a class, is 

 the saving of the time of men and teams that otherwise would be spent 

 awaitmg their turns at the gins and in g the baled lint cotton. 



1 This investigation was plarmed by Wells A. Sherman, Specialist in Market Surveys, and supervised 

 by Fred Taylor, Cotton Technologist. The ginning was done by George E . Gaus, Laboratory Aid, and the 

 samples were graded by David C. Griffith, Investigator in Cotton Marketing, and Robert W. Murray, 

 formerly Assistant in Cotton Marketing. 



Note.— This bulletin should be of interest to cotton producers, ginners, and buyers generally. 



41644°— Bull. 375—18 1 



