214 



The cost of the sack-cloth and iron bands weighing together 

 from 1 0.5- 1 2 k.g is about /1.50 per bale, but in Liverpool where 

 the price of the cotton is made, the tare is counted 6 %. Each bale 

 thus loses 30 lbs., a figure which is higher than the actual tare. 



Formerly the costs of cleaning the raw cotton according to the 

 old system amounted to /12.50 per bale, but at present these have 

 considerably diminished, as for instance in Texas they are about 

 /7.50 per bale, the while in some parts of the East, these have even 

 fallen to /2.50. 



The flock-mills, estimated at 23,000 chiefly owe their use to the 

 importance which the cotton seeds have gained in the last years. 



The farmers who supply the cotton, take back with them cotton 

 seod flour, which they use as fodder and manure. 



It is intended to connect with the flock-mills, oil-factories and 

 to refine there the oil which comes from the cotton-seeds, so that 

 it may be used as frying oil. 



This oil is used on a large scale in stead of Olive oil, in the pre- 

 servation of sardines and in the preparation of margarine, etc. 



These facts show that the flock-mills have considerably contri- 

 buted towards the decrease of the production cost of cotton. 



Besides the oil and the residue which can also serve as fodder, 

 are also obtained. 



Through the absence of flock-hairs on the seeds in the New 

 Island cotton, which cause the husks to be difficult to remove 

 in the extraction of the oil, the oil got from the seeds of this 

 kind, is of lower quality than that from the shorthaired cotton 

 varieties. 



Literally speakirg no part of the cotton is wasted in America. 



The cotton seeds contain about 20% of oil, but the oil-factories 

 get on an average not more than 15 %. 



The cotton-oil industry yearly yields a produce of a value of 

 75,000,000 guilders. 



As regards the sale of the cotton, formerly the planter himself, 

 or his principal, shipped the cotton to the chief markets in Europe 

 or America. 



At present the greatest part of the harvest goes over into the 

 hands of the manufacturers or merchants who have given the plan- 

 ter advances. 



The planter can get an average advance of/25 per bale, but that 

 however against the highest possible interests that the Government 

 allows. 



For commission and storage is calculated on an average f2.$o 

 for the former and for the latter /1.25 per bale for the first month 

 and for each successive month the half of fl.2$. 



Including the iusurance the sale costs the planter 1.25 cents, per 

 lb. of clean cotton. 



In America the cotton is quickly sold, as the agents of the spin- 

 neries or merchants live in the neighbourhood of the flock-mills, 

 which buy the cleaned cotton from the planters at the market rates. 



At present also a large amount of cotton goes through the hands 

 of export linns, whose aim it is to bring the producer and the con- 



