OlsTE-VAEIETY COTTON COMMUNITIES. 25 



cultural methods as well as from deterioration of varieties through 

 crossing and mixing of seed. 



Experience with the one-variety plan during the last decade 

 has shown that fundamental reforms in the system of production 

 are possible through community organization. The product of or- 

 ganized communities is more uniform, not only because pure varieties 

 are grown but because the cultural treatment is better. The crops 

 are larger and the product more valuable on account of the longer 

 and more uniform staple. The relation to markets is altered as pro- 

 foundly as the relation to production. In addition to having a 

 readily standardized "unit" product to offer, a genuine community 

 of interest among the producers enables them to deal more con- 

 structively with each of the problems of handling the crop. The 

 many new problems that one-variety communities have encountered 

 is evidence in itself that a new basis for constructive effort has been 

 attained. Many undertakings that were entirely beyond the scope 

 of the individual farmer become practical possibilities through com- 

 munity cooperation. At every point of difference the one-variety 

 communities have the advantage over the mixed communities. 



One effect of the system of buying is to keep the producing and 

 manufacturing interests apart, out of the range of constructive re- 

 lations. Though the manufacturers want better cotton and in larger 

 quantities, there is no provision for encouraging the production of 

 better fiber. The commercial system acts rather as a nonconductor 

 between the factory and the farm. As long as the crop is altogether 

 miscellaneous in character and quality and the commercial system 

 remains as it is, there is little prospect of developing the just dis- 

 crimination in prices that is needed to stimulate improvement of 

 production. The progressive farmer who produces better cotton 

 than his neighbors has too small a chance of getting a better price 

 for his crop. 



Discontent or dissatisfaction of farmers with the commercial sys- 

 tem leads to many efforts to eliminate or reduce the exactions of 

 the "middleman" through legislation or other restrictive measures, 

 but the need of improving the system of production has not been 

 appreciated. Commercial improvements might become more feasible 

 if the product could be more definitely standardized and its value 

 more definitely known to the farmer as well as to the buyer and 

 the manufacturer. 



Mereh^ " cutting out the middleman," as the saying is, would not 

 solve the commercial problem in relation to production. The manu- 

 facturers are not in position to buy directly from individual farmers 

 or to see that progressive individual farmers are paid full prices 

 for the few bales of good cotton that such farmers may produce, 

 2551°— 22 4 



