122 FI)E!LD CROPS FOR THE COTTON-BELT 



the qualities that add to, or detract from the market value 

 of cotton, a long period of practice in cotton classing or 

 judging is essential. Most co.tton-growers are ignorant as 

 to the -grade of lint that they are selling and are thus more 

 or less at the mercy of the cotton-buyer. Courses in cotton 

 classing are now being given by the laij-ger number of the 

 agricultural colleges in the cotton-belt. 



145. Important points in cotton valuing. — The points 

 considered in valuing cotton are, in order of importance: 

 (1) grade, (2) staple, (3) color, (4) amount of sand, (5) 

 amount of dampness, (6) whether the cotton is even- 

 running or not. Of these six points grade is, by far, the 

 most important and will be considered more fully than 

 the others. 



146. Grade. — By this term is meant the appearance 

 of the cotton, primarily as regards cleanhness, although 

 color is sometimes considered under this point. Any de- 

 gree of "off color" or "tinges" will tend to lower the 

 grade. 



There are seven full grades as agreed on by the leading 

 cotton markets of the world. Classifying cotton into these 

 seven full grades, however, does not satisfy the require- 

 ments of the cotton merchant, who demands a much finer 

 gradation. Consequently each grade is subdivided into 

 what are known as half grades and quarter grades, which 

 subdivision gives a list of twenty-six different grades of 

 cotton. The names of the grades having the word "strict" 

 are really half grades, while those having the words 

 "barely" and "fully" are' the quarter grades. Market 

 quotations are based upon the grade known as middling. 

 Consequently this is considered to be the basic or middle 

 grade. The complete list of grades follows, the full grades 

 being printed in bold-face type: 



