12 BULLETIN 324, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Just as the growing of a large crop of uneven fiber from inferior 
planting seed, so ginning of a kind which injures well-grown fiber 
represents a waste of value. There is loss to the grower in both cases, 
but in either case his loss is not represented by a corresponding gain 
to anyone else. It is pure waste. To avert this waste under present 
ginning arrangements the growers must have the cooperation of the 
pubhe ginners, so that the full value of the fiber may be preserved in 
the ginned and baled cotton. 
RATOONING SHOULD BE DISCOURAGED. 
In connection with the part the grower must play in assisting to 
bring about the stabilization of long-staple cotton, it should be em- 
phasized that the ratooning of cotton, 1. e., growing the crop from 
stumps’ of the previous season’s planting, should be discouraged. 
This practice, which was supposed to save the expenses of prepara- 
tion of land, seed, and planting, has been found to result in loss 
rather than in gain. 
The ratooning of short-staple cotton in the Imperial Valley in 
previous seasons led to extensive ratooning in 1914, as ratooned short- 
staple cotton apparently produced as well as seedling cotton and the 
product had not been discriminated against in the market. Durango 
cotton on approximately 4,000 acres was ratooned in 1914, with the 
result that practically all the crop from ratooned fields was ununi- 
form in fiber and very low in grade, and consequently it went on the 
market with the certainty of bringing a reduced price. While some 
yields of both were good, seedling Durango cotton probably sur- 
passed in yield the ratooned Durango, although authentic records of 
comparative yields are not available. Much short-staple cotton also 
was ratooned, and the crop, as in the case of Durango, was found to 
be decidedly inferior in quality and value to seedling cotton. 
THE GINNER AND STABILIZATION. 
The ginner is interested in a stabilized industry because of his 
large investment in his plant. To know that-he will have sufficient 
cotton to gin to pay him a dividend is of great importance to him. 
He can well afford to spend time and energy to see that the growers’ 
product is brought to the marketing stage in the best possible condi- 
tion so far as his handling of the cotton is concerned, since on the 
success of the grower depends the size of the crop. 
Smoothly ginned high-grade cotton sells quickly and at a pre- 
mium. To get this premium for high-grade fiber is not only essential 
to the stabilization of the cotton industry, but to the life of the in- 
dustry as well. For the ginner to take pains to see that the full 
value of the fiber is preserved in the bale turned out by his gin is a 
form of insurance for his investment. 
