12 BULLETIN 375^ U. S. DEPAETMEjSTT OF AGEICULTUKE. 



averaged 10.84 cents; and a bale below Good Ordinary 9.10 cents 

 against a IVIiddling 7.85 cents per pound. 



Of 12 comparisons made in Weleetka, 4 showed the poorest bale to* 

 have brought more per pound than did the best bale. Two vStrict 

 Good Ordinary bales averaged 11.44 cents, against a Good Middhng 

 10.13 cents per pound. 



A further analysis of the data concerning these 84 collections 

 showed that in 29 comparisons the lowest equivalent lint price repre- 

 sented a bale of higher quality than the one actually selling at the 

 liighest price, and in 14 additional cases the quality of the bales 

 represented by the lowest and highest prices was identical. 



It is quite evident from these facts that the seUing of miginned 

 cotton in actual practice is attended by great uncertainty and fre- 

 quently with much injustice to those who produce the higher grades 

 of cotton. 



IRREGULARITIES IN PRICES RECEIVED FOR THE LINT CONTENT OF 



SEED COTTON. 



Table VIII is presented to show with respect to grade the incon- 

 sistencies between equivalent lint prices of cotton sold unginned in 

 the same market during the same week. Only such comparisons 

 are included in tliis table as show discrepancies in price over $15 per 

 bale. 



This investigation afforded data from which 84 comparisons could 

 be made between loads sold during the same week in the same 

 market. The extreme discrepancies in price in 34 cases were miore 

 than $15 per bale; in 32 cases were from $10 to $15; and in 18 

 instances were under $10. In these comparisons ranges from 95 

 cents to $30.35 per bale occurred. The widest variation occurred in 

 HaskeU during the week of November 8, when, of 9 loads sampled, a 

 bale below Good Ordinary brought an equivalent of 13.48 cents, 

 while a Strict Good Ordinary brought an equivalent of only 9.29 

 cents per pound. The lower grade bale brought 4.19 cents more per 

 pound, while it was worth 1.88 cents per pound less, making a total 

 discrepancy of 6.07 cents per j)otmd or $30.35 between the bales. 

 The least variation found was 95 cents j)er bale in Ci'escent on 

 November 8, when only 2 loads were sampled. 



The most noteworthy facts brought out by tliis table are the wide 

 discrepancies that occurred between the amounts secured by different 

 farmers for loads of seed cotton, the frequency with which low-grade 

 bales sold for more than did higher grades, and the wide variations 

 between prices. 



i 



