The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-09-15
The Tare on Cotton.

Tarc on cotton is an important item
fer consideration by producers. L pre-
seDts a distinct item OF charge on every
bale of cotton which is prepared for
market, and IN order that we may full
y understand just what we may iully
understand just what this tare Is, and
how to reduce its cost to the Iinimum
OF expense, II IS we'll at this time to go
into the details of the subject somewhat.
Oh all products that have 10 be baled,
boxed or barreled for market there are
three items which have to be considered
by the buyer IN pricing such articles.
and those are the gross weight including
the covering, the tare which is the weight
OF the covering and the net weigth less
the covering
In all products except cotton these three,
items figure in the account sales render
ed. but with cotton the price made to the
producer Is apparently based on the gross
weight OF the bale no matter whether
the covering IS 20 pounds on one bale and
30 pounds on the other. The tare is
nothing more nor less than the difference
between the gross and net weight OF an
article, hence the baggng and ties on a
bale of cotton represents the tare and
/ It's weight must be deducted from the
gross weight OF the bale in order to de
termine and arrive at the net weight OF
the INIT. The same is true of a wagon
load OF cotton seed The wagon loaded
IS first weighed, and then weighed again
after being unloaded, the difference Civ
Ing the net weight OF the seed and the
weight OF the wagon being the tare The
4 t3r Cf n1a
furnished free by the seller and is never
paid for by the buyer. 1t IS well that
esary farmer should fully understand
this. The cotton buyer or spinner does
rot pay for a single ounce OF the bagging
and ties that cover our cotton any more
than a merchant would pay for the box
that eggs are shipped to him in, the
| crate that contains chickens, pigs OF
anything else. If we ship a merchant d
! crate of chickens and sell them at 10
cents per pound the merchant would de.
| duct the weight OF the crate III settle
ment and pay only for the net weight
| OF the chickens On the other hand the
railroad would charge freight on the
gross weight Of the crate and chickens
| combined.
AS TO COTTON.
/ IDe m2thOd OF nandlng our cotton is
! different from the rule applied to all 9th
| er products on this subject and while
it Is done on the basis of a uniform
weight, and that weight is figured off in
4 the price, making the deduction of tare
on cotton operate indirectly and not
! openly as in the case OF other articles
Now the amount of tare which has al
ways been allowed by Splnners, or the
amount in weight for bagging and ties
which has been uniformly deducted By
them from the gross weight of the bale
has been per cent. This Is usually
20 9 yards of two-pound bag
ging and SIX bands weighing two pounds
each In other words, when bale OF
cotton reaches the spinner weighing gross
500 pounds. the spinner knocks off sc
pounds for covering and pays the ex-
porter for 40 pounds of lint.
In all the account sales rendered to the
spinners by our exporters the tare OF &c
pounds to each bale IS deducted and pay
ment is received for the difference.
If an exporter ships 10000 pounds ot
cotto, that is, 100 bales each weighing