HANDLIXG AXD MARKETING OF ARIZONA-EGYPTIAN COTTON. 13 



Sale No. 3, of 200 bales, was made on September 15, 1914, after the 

 market bad declined materially. At the time of the sale, the prices 

 seemed very low to the grower, but later they were compelled to sell 

 at a price 1 cent per pound below these sales. 



On September 19, 1914, consignment No. 2 was arranged with 

 eastern brokers who took on consignment 1,000 bales of the Arizona- 

 Egyptian cotton from the association, advancing a trifle less on each 

 grade than in consignment No. 1. This consignment was sold a few 

 days later on sale No. 5 at approximately 4 cents less for each grade, 

 usual terms, than was obtained in sale 1. 



On December 30, 1914, consignment No. 4 of 100 bales was made and 

 shipped to brokers, who advanced 13 cents f. o. b. Mesa and Tempe 

 on same. Later in the season it became evident that the association 

 would not be able to fill sale No. 5 on account of the heavy rains of 

 December, which lowered the grades to such an extent that there 

 were very few bales of Choice and higher being ginned. As a com- 

 promise, the agents made an arrangement with the mill to which they 

 sold the 1,000 bales of sale No. 5 to accept against that sale the 100 

 bales of Medium at the price of 15 cents f . o. b. Eastern points. 



By these sales, the problem of marketing the crop during the 

 season was solved. 



The first Tempe cotton was classed October 5 and showed a very 

 fair grade and a portion of it very good staple, although 3 bales, 

 Nos. 4,5, and 6, classed Fancy Valley, the highest grade and shortest 

 staple. Later it was learned that these 3 bales were from volunteer 

 or ratoon cotton, commonly called stump cotton, grown at Scotts- 

 dale. It was quite evident throughout the season that all cotton 

 volunteered or grown from the stump was shorter in staple, weaker, 

 and less silky than cotton grown from seed in the same field. 1 



During the season of 1914 the rainfall was unusually heavy. 

 Although the grades had been running lower than usual, it was not 

 until October 14 that the first Standard grades appeared. Up to this 

 date the low grades were not entirely due to the rains, but to care- 

 less picking and to the fact that damp cotton was ginned. The 

 percentage of low grades in 1914 was much greater than in 1913. 

 (See Tables I, II, III, and IV.) 



When it seemed that shipping was quite safe from Egypt to 

 England, and from England to the United States, the groat prossuro 

 of the Egyptian crop was thrown on the market and there was a de- 

 cline of several cents per pound in the price of Egyptian cotton. Tho 

 third aale of 200 bales of Arizona-Egyptian was made at this time. 

 Although the cotton market was demoralized and prices were very 

 low, there was a market for the long-staple variety. On October 23, 



eofleld, I . s., Kearney, T. n .. Brand, C J., Cook, O. f., and Swingle, W. T., Community 

 production <>f Egytian cotton In Arizona. U. S. Department at Agriculture Bulletin xvi. 



