HAXDLIXG AXD MARKETING OF ARIZONA-EGYPTIAN COTTON. 7 



STORAGE OF GINNED EGYPTIAN COTTON. 



Although there is very little rainfall in Arizona, it is at times suf- 

 ficient to wet any baled cotton that is left uncovered and exposed to 

 the weather, thus causing considerable country damage. The stor- 

 ing of cotton not only protects it against damage by the weather, 

 but furnishes collateral security for obtaining loans by the farmer 

 until he is prepared to sell. In the event that no warehouse is 

 available the baled cotton should be removed from the gin platform 

 to a cotton platform of sufficient distance from the gin to comply 

 with insurance regulations. If this platform is not large enough for 

 all of the cotton, it should be ranged in the yard on dunnage, which 

 is formed by skids or stringers, to raise the bales at least 4 inches 

 above the groimd, thus leaving them high enough to prevent dam- 

 age and to allow free circulation of air under the bales. These bales 

 should be turned over at intervals in order to allow the under side 

 to dry, as, in spite of the dunnage, it is liable to absorb a certain 

 amount of moisture. 



Information secured at the Mesa gin in January, 1914, serves to 

 illustrate how quickly cotton will damage. Some of the cotton at 

 Mesa was placed on the planks as described, and the remainder was 

 left standing on the head of the bales on the ground. When the 

 cotton was moved for shipment, it was found that the heads were 

 damaged to an extent which ranged from 1 to 7 pounds per bale. 

 (See PL III, figs. 1 and 2.) This damaged cotton was a total loss to 

 the farmer, as the railroad and steamship companies have stringent 

 rules regarding it. They will not accept cotton that is damaged 

 unless a clause is attached to the bill of lading stating that the cot- 

 ton is in bad condition. A bill of lading containing such a clause 

 frequently is refused by the purchaser, or, if accepted, the cotton is 

 subjected to a close scrutiny. In a case where damaged cotton is 

 accepted, the buyer very often, in picking off the damaged parts, 

 removes at the same time more of the good cotton than is necessary. 

 This amount of damaged material removed from the bales i educes 

 the weight of the cotton, and a claim for loss in weight is made 

 against the shipper. 



CLASSING THE ARIZONA-EGYPTIAN COTTON. 



The Arizona-Egyptian cotton was a new variety for which no 

 standards for grades or staples existed, and there wcro no terms other 

 than those in use by the Egyptian cotton trade by which this new 

 Btaple could be described, while for all other varieties there were 

 standards in use with trade names which designate the quality by 

 which the cotton is sold. Hence the evident need of types for classi- 

 ng the new Arizona staple cotton. 



The representative of the department during the season of 1913 

 bli bed types whicb became fairly well known to the Salt River 



