2 BULLETIiSr 801^ U. S. DEPAETMEISTT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



The success of tile cotton ^.varehousing business is strongly influ- 

 enced by the elements of cost of construction on the one hand, and 

 insurance rates on the other, for these two factors determine very 

 largely the returns on the investment. Primary factors determining 

 warehouse design are the character and volume of the business con- 

 templated, the site for the plant, and the possible arrangement of the 

 buildings. 



Certain conditions vitall}' affect the adoption of both site and ar- 

 rangement of the plant. Some of these conditions are whether cotton 

 is handled primarily for producers or dealers, with the consequent 

 influence on " turn overs " and " peak loads," whether it is deposited 

 and withdrawn in large or small lots, is generally for shipment to 

 local or to distant points, is stored flat or compressed, is subject to 

 favorable shipping rates. It is apparent that warehouses for local 

 storage, for use as a concentration or compress point, for an export 

 plant, or for a cotton mill warehouse, will present separate problems 

 both from the standpoint of the actual plant and of the handling 

 system and storage methods employed. The solution of these prob- 

 lems is a matter of managerial j)olic3^ and does not lie within the scope 

 of this discussion.^ 



The site for the. plant should be considered with reference to trans- 

 portation facilities, area available, topography of the ground, charac- 

 ter of the soil, and the water supply which is available or can be pro- 

 vided. Transportation connections by both water and rail are de- 

 sirable, while for the plant handling cotton in large quantities for 

 distant delivery, as at concentration points, such connections may be 

 indispensable. The area available may limit the distribution of the 

 buildings and consequently the design. The toporgaphy of the 

 ground influences both arrangement and design, while the character 

 of the soil sometimes affects tlie cost of construction with a resulting 

 influence on economy of design. As a rule, no warehouse should be 

 built unless it can be provided with a sufficient water supply for rea- 

 sonable fire service. 



The layout of the plant, or the arrangement of the buildings, 

 should be influenced primarily by the elements of fire hazard, con- 

 venience for handling cotton, and the design of the building desired 

 considered with the economical type of construction. Protection 

 against fire exposure demands isolation of buildings and restriction 

 in size of units. At the same time, the arrangement should be such 

 as affords the greatest economy in handling the cotton, which prefer- 

 ably should be moved into the warehouse from one side and turned 



^Newton, Eoy L., and Workman, J. M. Cotton Warehousing— Benefits of nn 

 Adequate System. In Yearbook of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1918. 



