PACKING AND MABKETING OF COTTON. 39 



body and the strongest fiber of the cotton of any State east of the Mississippi 

 River, unless It be Louisiana. Georgia cotton has about the same body as 

 Carolina cotton, but better staple. But the grade of the cotton is not deter- 

 mined by the staple nor the body of the cotton, but by its character as to 

 cleanliness and color. 



COTTON REQUIRED BT MANTTFACTUKEKS. 



Each manufacturer requires a certain grade and type of cotton to 

 produce his particular class of goods. When a manufacturer makes 

 a small range in numbers of yarn, or is confined to one or two dif- 

 ferent grades of fabrics, only one grade of cotton will be needed. 

 When, however, a manufacturer makes a wide range of yams and 

 fabrics, different grades of cotton are frequently used. In the first 

 case it will be necessary for the manufacturer to have as nearly as 

 possible even-running bales. To have a mixture of cotton — ^that is, . 

 to mix the longer with the shorter staple — would cause a considerable 

 amount of trouble, particularly if the cotton should be mixed to- 

 gether. Any mixing of long and short staple would mean a loss of 

 production with an additional amount of waste in the making of 

 yarns. This occurs in mills where the mixing of cotton does not 

 receive the particular attention which should be given it. Inability 

 to mix and successfully spin cotton of different grades and lengths 

 is due to the fact that the rolls in the different machines which have 

 to draw out the cotton into thread travel at different speeds, the back 

 roll traveling slower than the front roll. These rolls are also set a 

 certain distance apart, according to the length of the staple. If the 

 rolls should be set to spin 1-inch cotton and IJ-inch should be used, 

 the rolls would break the fibers, and this would have a bad effect in 

 the making of yarn. On the other hand, if the rolls should be set 

 for IJ-inch and seven-eighths or 1 inch cotton should be used, many 

 fibers would drop between the rolls and in this way there would be 

 much waste and loss. Where the manufacturer makes a wide range 

 of yams and fabrics, such a mixing of cottons of extreme different 

 lengths is almost unheard of. Therefore, should the manufacturer 

 get different grades in any lot of cotton, the bales would be separated 

 according to grade, and used according to the staple required for a 

 certain yarn or fabric. 



LESSON FROM THE FIGURES. 



The foregoing brief outline of the methods that obtain in classi- 

 fication and grading of cotton will convey an idea of the intricacies 

 of the system and of the difficulties that confront the ordinary farmer 

 in seeking to obtain a fair and proper price for his product. It has 

 been pertinently said that in the South " cotton is bought, not sold." 

 The expert buyer, familiar with the relative value of grades, decides 

 upon the quality of the cotton offered and the farmer often has no 

 means of ascertaining the correctness of the buyer's judgment. 



As may be seen from the foregoing table, which is given to illus- 

 trate the different values of the various grades according to the 

 classification and grades established by the New York exchange for 

 fie period stated, the difference in a single grade above middling may 

 have a money value of $2.80 per bale, and if the difference should h>e 

 two grades " on " the money value may be $6.50 per bale. 



O 



