18 BULLETIN 476, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
It appears from the investigation that the average producer who 
knew the class of his cotton obtained about $1.15 per bale more than 
the farmer who was not furnished such information. Should this 
hold true for the whole crop, the producers of North Carolina would 
save over a million dollars by having their cotton classed before they 
sell it. Counties which produce five thousand or more bales would 
probably find it practicable and financially worth while to take ad- 
vantage of benefits of the State grading law referred to in the foot- 
note on page 2. 
he relative value of different grades and lengths of staple is 
more nearly approximated in the sale of cotton, the class of which 
is known to the producer, than in the sale of unclassed cotton. It 
is reasonable to suppose that when the farmer is assured that his 
cotton is accurately and impartially classed and bought as classed, 
he will appreciate the advantage of exercising greater care in choos- 
ing the variety to be planted and also more care in the picking and 
ne idling in order to improve the grade and staple so that he ERY 
receive the premium which the superior product will bring. 
Producers who sold in lots containing ten or more bales obtained 
from 88 cents to $1.45 per bale more than the producers who sold 
one or two bales. Classing is only the first step and pooling or 
selling organizations should be formed if the full benefits of classing 
are to be realized. 
Norfolk, Va., seems an advantageous market for certain towns in 
eastern North Carolina, provided the shipper knows the class of his 
cotton. If the farmer does not know the value of his product, he 
is not only incompetent to dispose of it locally in an intelligent 
manner but is also unable to tell whether he is receiving full value 
if he sells it at a distant market. 
Accurate knowledge of the grade of bales enables merchants who 
buy cotton in settlement of accounts to pay the individual farmer 
more nearly what his particular cotton is worth and to secure better 
prices for themselves when selling. 
The sale of classed cotton at a primary market increased the price 
paid for unelassed cotton sold at that market about 10 points, or 50 
cents per bale. 
Investigations conducted in Arkansas by the Office of Markets and 
Rural Organization during the 1913-14, 1914-15, and 1915-16 sea- 
sons corroborate the conclusions drawn in this bulletin as to the 
value of a knowledge of the class of cotton before sale and the ad- 
vantages derived from selling in large lots. 
