The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-07-20
THE UNIFORM COTTON BALE.
& Circular Letter From Leading Au-
gusta Cotton Man.


The following circular letter of much
interest to cotton growers. and those
who handle it. has just been issued by
J. II. Sloan Of Augusta, Ga.
Dear Sir: We take the liberty Of call
inc your attention to the Importance Of
cxerting all your efforts in favor OF the
adoption of the standard size cotton
bale. which is Il bale made in :; press
box measuring on the inside II inches
wide by 81 inches long and deep enough
to make :; bale weighing about 500
pounds.
The complaints made by the trans
portation companies and the foreign
mills about the difficulties of slowing
different size bales. and the damaged
condition in which the American cot
ton is received. are 50 numerous that
We are sure i great discrimination Will
be made against our cotton next season.
unless there is Il change made and an
universal size bale adopted and en-
forced
After number of experiments with
bales of all the different sizes 1t was
found that the best results could be had
from those made in prcss-boxcs u in
chcs wide by 81 inches long. and this
size has been adopted rs the standard
by all the western and gulf States: also
by the convention in Atlanta, Ga. last
May.
This size (24x5N was found to press
to L greater density, and. when pressed
at the compress, the baggimg usually
placed on bale Of cotton would then
cover the bale completely ard prevent
any damage.
1t is well understood that the more
cotton that can be slowed in L steamer
the less the freight, and consequently.
the more the cotton grower Will receive
for his crop. 1t naturally seems that a
few inches in the size of bales would
make no difference. but few inches
running irrcgularly through an ocean
steamer amounts to a great loss Of space
and in slowing bales of irregular sizes.
they are so screwedin in odd shaped spaces
as to often break and nearly always
are torn and twisted out of shape by
the time they reach the foreign ports.
The lost spaces also form air passages.
and in case Of fire the damage is much
greater, consequently the insurance is
higher than it should be- The same
complaints are made by the railroads.
and by the mills when they put their
cotton in warehouses.
We think we have fully explained
the reasons for this change, and that it
is to your interest to Go all that is in
your power to have every one make this
change by next season. As general
rule, the press-boxcs will have to be
made smaller, either one way or both,
This can be done with very little ex-
pense by lining the inside with boards,
one lining on another where the size is
to to be reduced several inches. Then
the follow block can be sawn off to tit
the box. The cost of making this
change in most cases will not exceed
$500. This amount is too small to
spare. and thereby continue to suffer
loss caused by determinations in the
past. as we'll as additional ones that
will surely follow.
The European mills use about three
fourths of our cotton crop. and OF course
they have great deal to do with the
price of cotton, therefore it is to our
interest to see that it is shipped in the
condition they want it, and by reducing
the damage and the cost Of transporta-
ton, the grower will get that much more
for his cotton.
We heve received letters from ma
jority of the ginners in our territory.
and they promise to alter their press
boxes to the standard size. We respect
fully solicit the cooperation Of all
growers and those interested in the cot
ton crop, to urge the ginners the impor.
ance of making all bales of the standard
size. us the success Of this movement
and the benefits to be derived from it
depend upon them. We are confident
that L large majority OF The ginners will
make this change but it is necessary
that the change be rs near universal as
possible.
We are anxious to hear from those
that are interested in this movement.
and especially those that have made
this change.