372 



SOUTHERN FIELD CROPS 



One great advantage of thus compressing it at the gin is 

 the more complete and careful covering of the l^ale mth 

 new, closely woven cloth (Fig. 163). On the other hand, 



-st^^JisR 



Fiu. Ki.'j. — B.\LEs FROM .\ Gin Compre.ss. 



the ordinar.y comjiress utilizes a part of the coarse, heavy, 

 and usually cut or torn co^•ering that was originally placed 

 on the bale at the gin. 



346. Commercial classes or grades of cotton. — Cotton 

 is Ijought and sold according to quality or grade. When 

 farmers sell, unless the iiumlier of bales lie very large, a 

 decision as to the grade or riuality is usually made liy the 

 buyer, the seller being ignorant, as a rul(\ of the exact 

 quality of cotton that he is selling. To lietter enable 

 farmers to know what grade of cotton they sell, most 

 agricultural colleges in the cottou-belt now employ ex- 



