12 BULLETIN 324, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 



Just as the growing. of a large crop of uneven fiber from inferior 

 planting seed, so ginning of a kind which injures well-grown fiber 

 represents a waste of value. There is loss to the grower in both cases, 

 but in either case his loss is not represented by a corresponding gain 

 to anyone else. It is pure waste. To avert this waste under present 

 ginning arrangements the growers must have the cooperation of the 

 public ginners, so that the full value of the fiber may be preserved in 

 the ginned and baled cotton. 



RATOONING SHOULD BE DISCOURAGED. 



In connection with the part the grower must play in assisting to 

 bring about the stabilization of long-staple cotton, it should be em- 

 phasized that the ratooning of cotton, i. e., growing the crop from 

 stumps of the previous season's planting, should be discouraged. 

 This practice, which was supposed to save the expenses of prepara- 

 tion of land, seed, and planting, has been found to result in loss 

 rather than in gain. 



The ratooning of short-staple cotton in the Imperial Valley in 

 previous seasons led to extensive ratooning in 1914, as ratooned short- 

 staple cotton apparently produced as well as seedling cotton and the 

 product had not been discriminated against in the market. Durango 

 cotton on approximately 4,000 acres was ratooned in 1914, with the 

 result that practically all the crop from ratooned fields was ununi- 

 f orm in fiber and very low in grade, and consequently it went on the 

 market with the certainty of bringing a reduced price. While some 

 yields of both were good, seedling Durango cotton probably sur- 

 passed in yield the ratooned Durango, although authentic records of 

 comparative yields are not available. Much short-staple cotton also 

 was ratooned, and the crop, as in the case of Durango, was found to 

 be decidedly inferior in quality and value to seedling cotton. 



THE GINNER AND STABILIZATION. 



The ginner is interested in a stabilized industry because of his 

 large investment in his plant. To know that he will have sufficient 

 cotton to gin to pay him a dividend is of great importance to him. 

 He can well afford to spend time and energy to see that the growers' 

 product is brought to the marketing stage in the best possible condi- 

 tion so far as his handling of the cotton is concerned, since on the 

 success of the grower depends the size of the crop. 



Smoothly ginned high-grade cotton sells quickly and at a pre- 

 mium. To get this premium for high-grade fiber is not only essential 

 to the stabilization of the cotton industry, but to the life of the in- 

 dustry as well. For the ginner to take pains to see that the full 

 value of the fiber is preserved in the bale turned out by his gin is a 

 form of insurance for his investment. 



