The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-03-29
] CENSUS OF COTTON GINNING !.
"a "a Very Important Work Undertaken
BY the Genaii bureau Il

Avery Important Work Undertaken
by the Genails bureau. & 81
The Greenville Mouatainec or says
various efforts havo been made to por-
feet agencies for securing early and
trustworthy information as to the quan.
8tity of cotton annually grown in tho
United Statos, with a Wow to reducing
to q minimum The fluctuations incident
to an industry 80 greatly dependent
upon supply and demand.
Statistios Of this crop usod in com.
morcial oentors have to do with tho
cotton as marketed during oaoh year
ending August 81, and arc gathered
very largely through reports Of trans.
portation limos touching tho cotton
fields. So long as it was safe to as.
sumo that practically tho whole of tho
cotton crop reached its market through
tho common oarriors, thoir reports
constituted fairly trustworthy basis
for estimates Of the commercial Drop,
but, as much cotton now goes directly
from the folds to tho mills without
passing through the hands Of tranpor.
tation companies, this means of gather
ing cotton statistios is annually booom-
ing moro and more unsatisfactory. All
returns arc mado in commercial bales,
which is au unsatisfactory unit of meas-
uro. During the rast century the
average weight of tho commercial bale
moro than doubled In sono SECTIONS
I n hal ~
package averaging ia weight 498
pounds. Ia other regions it means
balo of 400 pounds, while in still other
localities is found tho round bale aver,
aging 269 pounds. Mono of tho means
hitherto employed has reported the
number and weight Of tboso divers
kinds Of commercial bales. Tho roa-
tive number Of square and round bales
is changing and with This the avera 90
weight Of the ordinary unit, the com
mercial bale, is being modified. Ronoe
the Importance Of substituting a fxod
unit like pound for variable unit of
measure like balo, thus enabling tho
country to know tho actual Quantity Of
cotton produced.
Believing that tho reports of cotton
ginners, showing tho number and avor.
ago weight of tho bales passing through
their hands during q givon year, would
afford trustworthy statistios, tho Unitod
States Census Ollico has by oorrespon-
donoo and through tho onumorators
obtained from each ginning establish
mont of tho country report Of tho
quantity Of cotton handled Of tho crop
0f1899. Tho attempt to obtain the stats
tics Of che cotton Drop through this agen
oy has boon so successful, and tho mo-
thod promises to develop statiatics SO
much moro complete and satisfactory
than those heretofore adopted that tho
Director Of tho Census has decided to
undertake an annual oonsus OF tho cot
ton crop through tho diroot cooperation
of the ginners.
The suooess Of this annual cotton
crop report must dopond altogether
upon tho promptnoss and ACCURACY with
which reports are roooiyed. AS the in
formation aolioited is vory largely for
tho benefit Of tho cotton ginnors and
cotton growers, it ID beloved that the
gtnnora will cordially respond to Tia
efforts Of the Oonsus Offioe to rendor
this service to the South and to all
those Interested In nite groat staple,
Il The Consus Olfioo is now undortak;na
obtain the facts regarding tho oottt n n
Drop Of 1900, through blanks mailed to
TO the cotton ginnors, Those inquiries
should bo promptly aud accurately
.answerod and roturntd d at onoo In the
frAnked envelope, which requ,ros no
postage. Ginnora will not tail to SOC
that tho SUCCESS Of this inquiry will re-,
dound greatly to their benefit, and thoy
should be prompt to report to the
Bureau tho nalnss and addrosaoa Of now
ginning establishments, as we'll ss any
ohangos In tho inanag oment Of old onaa.