14 
BULLETIN 1480, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE 
were identical and in 153 months, or 88 per cent of the cases the 
difference between the results obtained by the two methods was not 
more than 0.2 cent. In only 7 months was the difference more than 
0.5 cent, and in only 1 month in the 15 years was the difference more 
than 1 cent. 
Table 1. 
-A comparison of United States monthly farm prices of cotton 
■weighted by methods A 1 and C 2 
[Cents per pound] 
Year begin- 
Meth- 
od 
Month 
An- 
nual 
ning— 
Aug. 
Sep:. 
Oct. 
Xov. 
Dec. Jan. 
Feb. 
Mar. 
Apr. 
May 
June 
July 
av- 
Biage 
1910 
1911 
A 
C 
A 
C 
A 
C 
A 
C 
A 
C 
A 
c 
A 
C 
A 
C 
A 
c 
A 
C 
A 
C 
A 
C 
A 
c 
A 
C 
A 
c 
14.4 
~12.T 
"IO" 
~ii.~6~ 
_ l6.~6~ 
10.5 
8.3 
S.4 
13.6 
13.8 
23.8 
23.9 
30.0 
29.7 
31.4 
31.3 
34.0 
32.7 
11.2 
11.6 
20.9 
21.1 
23. S 
23.2 
27. ^ 
27.9 
13.8 
13.8 
11.0 
11.0 
11.2 
11.2 
12.6 
12.6 
8.2 
8.1 
9.8 
10.0 
15.0 
15.0 
23.4 
23.4 
32.0 
32.0 
30.8 
30.9 
2S.3 
28. 1 
16.2 
16.5 
20.6 
20.5 
25.6 
25.4 
22.2 
22. 2 
13.6 
13.6 
9.6 
9.7 
11.0 
11.0 
13.2 
13.2 
7.0 
7.0 
11.4 
11.4 
16.8 
16.7 
25.3 
25.3 
30.6 
30. 6 
33.9 
34.0 
22.4 
22.4 
18.8 
18.7 
21.2 
21.0 
2S. 
27.8 
23. i 
23.1 
14.0 
14.0 
8.8 
8.8 
11.4 
11.4 
12.6 
12.6 
6.6 
6.5 
11.4 
11.5 
18.8 
18.8 
27.5 
27.5 
2?. 4 
28.4 
36.0 
36.1 
16.6 
16.4 
17.0 
16.9 
23.1 
23.0 
29. 9 
29. 7 
22.5 
22.6 
14.2 
14.2 
8.6 
8.6 
12.0 
12.1 
12.0 
12.0 
6.7 
6.7 
11.4 
11.4 
18.4 
18.4 
28. 3 
28.3 
28 2 
28.0 
35.8 
35.6 
12.7 
12.4 
16.2 
16.2 
24.2 
24.1 
32.1 
32.0 
22.2 
22.2 
14.4 
14.3 
8.7 
8.7 
12.0 
12.1 
11.8 
11.7 
7.0 
7.0 
11.4 
11.5 
17.0 
16.9 
29.3 
29.2 
26.8 
26. 7 
36.0 
36.0 
11.6 
11.6 
15.9 
16.0 
25.2 
25.2 
32.5 
32.6 
22.7 
22.8 
14.1 
14.1 
9.4 
9.4 
11.8 
11.9 
12.2 
12.0 
7.4 
7.4 
11.3 
11.3 
16.4 
16.3 
30.0 
30.0 
24.4 
24.4 
36.2 
36.3 
11.0 
11.1 
15.7 
15.9 
26.8 
27.0 
31.4 
31.6 
23.0 
23.0 
13.9 
13.9 
10.0 
9.9 
11.8 
11.8 
12.2 
11.9 
7.8 
7. S 
11.3 
11.3 
17.0 
17.1 
31.0 
31.0 
24.2 
24.2 
36.8 
37.4 
9.8 
9.9 
16.0 
16.2 
28.0 
2S.4 
27.7 
2S. 
24.5 
24.7 
14.0 
14.1 
10.5 
10.6 
11.7 
11.7 
12.0 
12.1 
8.6 
8.6 
11.5 
11.5 
18.4 
IS. 6 
30.2 
30.3 
25.2 
25.3 
37.5 
38.4 
9.4 
9.4 
16.0 
16.1 
27.6 
27.8 
28 7 
29.0 
23.7 
23.6 
14.4 
14.5 
11.0 
11.0 
11.6 
11.5 
12.3 
12.4 
8.8 
S.9 
11.8 
11.9 
19.6 
19.7 
28.0 
2S. 
27.8 
27.8 
37.4 
38.3 
9.6 
9.6 
17.3 
17.4 
26.2 
26.6 
2S. 1 
29.0 
23.0 
23.0 
14.5 
14.5 
11.1 
11.1 
11.6 
11.5 
12.4 
13. S 
13.8 
11.6 
11.6 
11.6 
11.6 
12.4 
14.0 
14.0 
9.7 
1912 
9.6 
11.5 
1913 
11.5 
12.5 
1914 
12.4 12.4 
8.6 1 8.4 
8.6 ' 
12.4 ; 12.6 
12.4 ' 
22. 4 *>4. 5 
12.5 
7.4 
1915 
7.4 
11.2 
1916 
11.2 
17.7 
1917 
22.7 
28.0 
28.1 
30.3 
30.4 
37.3 
37.7 
9.7 
9.7 
19.6 
IP. 7 
25.9 
26.1 
27.8 
2S.4 
23.0 
24.7 
28.2 
2S.0 
31.8 
32.0 
37.1 
37.6 
9.7 
9.8 
20.6 
20.7 
24. S 
24.8 
27.3 
27.5 
23.4 
17.3 
27.2 
1918 
27.1 
2S. S 
1919.. 
2-S.8 
35.0 
1920 
35.2 
17.2 
1921 
15.8 
16.9 
1922 . 
17.0 
23 5 
1923 
22. S 
29.0 
1924 
28.7 
23.0 
22.6 
23.1 
22.9 
1 Method A: The United States monthly price is obtained by averaging the State monthly prices, using 
estimates of annual cotton production by States as a basis of constant weights from month to monrh. The 
United States price is really an index price, as constant weights are used from month to month. This is 
the method used byjthe department at the present time. 
' Method C: The" Cnited States monthly price is obtained by averaging the State monthly prices, using 
as weights an estimate of the quantity of cotton sold in each State in a given month. These weights are 
not constant from month to month. The United States price obtained in this way approximates the actual 
average price of cotton sold each month. 
% 
Table 2 gives a comparison of the four methods of weighting used 
in determining the United States annual crop-year price of cotton. 
For 9 of the 12 years in which a comparison of methods B and C 
is jDOSsible from the figures available, the annual averages are iden- 
tical, and in no case does the difference exceed 0.2 cent. The results 
of the two methods should be practically identical, as in method B 
monthly marketings expressed as percentages of the year's market- 
ings are used as a basis of weighting:, and in method C the per- 
centages are converted to actual quantities, i. e., bales. 
