UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 375 
^S^^lj^^ Contribution from the Office of Markets and Rural Organization *^jj^^^li 
S^^3£ CHARLES J. BRAND, Chief jUp'^&L 
Washington, D. C. 
August 9, 1916 
1ISADVANTAGES OF SELLING COTTON IN THE 
SEED. 
By Charles F. Creswell, Scientific Assistant. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. 
Introduction 1 
Method of investigation 3 
Outturns from seed cotton at gins 4 
Conversion of seed-cotton price to the equiva- 
lent lint-cotton price 6 
Elements that determine the price of seed 
cotton 7 
Variations in prices of identical grade of lint 
cotton when sold unginned 9 
Page. 
Prices received for the lowest and highest 
grade bales in the same market during the 
same week io 
Irregularities in prices received for the lint 
content of seed cotton 12 
Prices received for lint cotton compared with 
equivalent lint prices of seed cotton 14 
A study of conditions in a specific locality. . . 16 
Conclusions is 
INTRODUCTION. 
The practice of selling cotton in the seed, while not as prevalent 
as in the early days of cotton production, is still preferred by many 
producers and constitutes an important factor in the marketing of 
the cotton crop. 
In regions where cotton is not grown hi sufficient quantities to 
attract regular buyers, the custom of marketing unginned cotton 
enables the producer to make a ready-cash sale of any amount of seed 
cotton that he may bring to the gin. However, in most markets, 
practically the only advantage accruing to the farmers, as a class, is 
the saving of the time of men and teams that otherwise would be spent 
awaiting their turns at the gins and in selling the baled lint cotton. 
i This investigation was planned by Wells A. Sherman, Specialist in Market Surveys, and supervised 
by Fred Taylor, Cotton Technologist. The ginning was done by George E . Gaus, Laboratory Aid, and the 
samples were graded by David C Griffith, Investigator in Cotton Marketing, and Robert W. Murray, 
formerly Assistant in Cotton Marketing. 
Note.— This bulletin should be of interest to cotton producers, ginners, and buyers generally. 
41644°— Bull. 375—16 1 
