The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-06
THE CENSUS REPORT
ON COTTON G|NN[D
The Crop of 1902 up to De-
cember Is.
OUTPUT OF EACH STATE
The Total Number of Bales is {, ,31i. 1876 Irrespec.
tive Of Weight Equal TO 8, 1906 Accord
ing 10 Commercial
Counting.
(By the Associated Press.)

(By the Associated Press)
Washington, January 5.-The Census
Bureau report on the cotton ginned from
the 1902 crop up to and including Decem-
Der 1S last. is 9.311,S ,S35 bales, irrespective
of shape or weight, equal to S,905, ,5O3, ac-
cording to the commercial counting. This
is 90.2 per cent of the crop. The report
follows:
United States. active ginneries report
ing, 30,194; cotton ginned to and includ-
ing December 13, growth 1902, 9,311,S
ginners' estimate quantity to be ginner
from this crop after December 13, 1c57,-
III; canvassing agents estimate per cent
crop ginned to December 49, 90.2.
The above statistics of the quantity of
cotton ginned to December 18th are ex-
pressed in bales as pressed at the gin
neries, irrespective of shape or weight. In
the total of 9,311, ,S35 bales there are Sl2,-
6G1 round bales, averaging from 240 to
200 pounds each. Counting such round
bales as half bales, as is the custom in
the commercial community, the total gin
ned to December 18th is S,9O5,503. The
ginners have not yet returned their bale
weights for this crop, but where the
cotton compress companies distributed
throughout the cotton States advise the
office that they compressed and actually
weighed from the growth of 1902 up to
December 18th, LOGO. .434 bales, averaging
5o3.S pounds gross. Using this weight as
the average for square bales and for
round bales 253 pounds, the average OBJ
tanned from the weight returns of the
homo nf Ha III inc
such patents, the equivalent number of
500 pound bales ginned to December 18th
is found to be S,974,722. Deducting the
weight of the bagging and ties (22 pounds
per square bale) the number of equiva-
lent 500 pound bales, net weight, is found
to be S,600,75S. By two of the most thor
ough canvasses this season 80, 52S ginner-
les. active and idle. have been located and
reported, of which number 30,194 have
been operated for this crop. In their
December canvass the local special agents
ascertained the quantity of cotton ginned
from the beginning of the season to and
including December 18th and also Sc
cured from each Of the active ginners
his estimate of the quantity of cotton
to be gi1ned by his establishment after
December 13.
The estimate o the per centage of the
crop ginned is based on the estimate OF
626 canvassing agents, who were in
structed to confine their estimates to the
territories canvassed by them and to the
knowledge gained therefrom. One esti-
mate therefor serves as check against
the other. According to the estimate of
the ginners 10.2 per cent. of the crop re-
mained to be ginned after December 10,
while, according to the estimate of the
canvassing agents the percentage was
9S. Applying these percentages and the
general average bale weight obtained
from combining round and suare bales
the crop, according to the ginners, is
9,996,900 bales, and according to the can
vassing agents 9,954, LOG bales of an aver
age gross weight Of 500 pounds. The
census office assumes no responsibility
for the accuracy of these estimates. This
report will be followed by third and
final report at the end of the ginning sea-
son, about March 18th, which will dis
tribute the crop by counties, segregate
upland and sea island cottons. and gives
weights of bales.
In giving out the report Director Mer-
riam made the following statement:
1t seems important to again state, in
cotton crop of 1902, that is so far as they
relate to the bales of cotton ginned to
December 13 last, they involve no guess
work at any point, no estimate by any
bodi, and no uncertainty of any kind.
They represent the exact mber of bales
of cotton that have passed through the
ginneries. All that has been done by
the census office is TO make and certify
the additions. Anybody is at liberty to
examine the whole process adopted by
the census office in handling these re-
turns. The returns represent the ginning
operations of every ginning establish
ment which has handled any portion of
the growth of 1902.
The report is made at a time so near
the close of the ginning season as to
permit very close approximation of
the growth of the year, in 500 pound
bales. 1t seems probable that the final
report to be issued about March 10th
next, will not show a variation Of so. 900
bales from the estimates of the total
crop which are submitted rom two
sources in connection with the figures
of cotton ginned to December 13.
Thls is the first time in the history of
the American cotton crop that definite
and exact knowledge of the seasons
growth has been placed in POSSESSION of
the public at SO early a date, or within
date five months as early.
Inc census office is already perfecting
plans for more frequent reports in con-
nection with the crop of 1908. It's first
report will cover all the cotton ginned,
of the years growth, up to and including
September 1st. This portion of each
years crop is now assigned, in the COM