The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-07-13

the tare, this arbitrary reduction of
S per cent from the gross weight q
the bale causes Southern farmers an
annual net loss of about $40, 600, OO0.
The proposition cannot be denied, be-
cause it is VIGOROUSLY true. and will
be endorsed by every spinner in Eu-
rope who buys American cotton.
80 long as the present plan pre-
walls farmers should make it a point
to buy the heaviest bagging sold. and
put on each bale every pound Of tare
to which the cotton is entitled under
the rule of deducting 6 per cent of
the gross weight for covering. A
bale weighing 500 pounds is entitled
to So pounds Of bagging and ties,
While a bale weighing 400 pounds
would be entitled to only "a pounds.
Light, fiin1sy bagging or second hand
bagging should not be used. Every
farmer should buy new %bagging,
weighing 2 IL pounds to the yard,
and put on s yards and 6 bands for
a 500 pound bale. If the buying
world would insist upon deducting 6
per cent from the gross weight tor
tare, then put on the tare to the full
limit, because bagging and ties are
much cheaper under such conditions
than lint cotton.
ut is a bad practice, however, to
have the cotton crop handled under
any such system. The only fair rule
is to sell lint cotton in bales by net
weight and have the tare of uniform
weight and as light as possible. Heavy
tare not only costs the farmer more
money, but the freight is also heavier.
Farmers not only nave to buy the
bagging and ties they use and give it
away to the buyers, but they are
charged up the freight on tare from
shipping point to destination. Local
gin compression is the only way in
which the farmers can relieve them
selves Of the present unfair regula-
lions Of tare and use q lighter cover
ing on their cotton. But SO long as
the present plantation bales are used
it is to use heavy bagging,
and enOugh Of it to give full require
ment. Farmers not only give away
the bagging and ties in the first in
stance, but the people who buy the
cotton have the bagging and ties taken
use again. Buy heavy bagging, and
new bagging. It furnishes more
weight in tare and certainly gives the
bales a heater and more merchanta-
BILE appearance.
States which have laws requiring
the sale Of cotton by gross weight
should see that they are repealed,
and at least give the farmers an op-
%portunity to sell their cotton by net
weight if they prefer to do so. That
they will prefer to do SO when they
fully understand the question and are
able to provide for the compression
Of their cotton at the local gin. there
can be no question Of doubt. A
great many farmers have been lead
to believe that because the price they
receive for cotton is based on the
gross weight of the same bale, that
they get the same price for their bag
ging and ties that they do for the lint.
h idea, however, is a mistake.
There is always a sufficient numbe
of points deducted in the price offered
the farmer to cover the bagging and
ties, SO that as a matter OF fact nc
farmer ever sells bagging and ties or
receives any pay whatever for it. The
spinners only buy and pay for net lint
cotton, and as they do not pay for
bagging and ties the growers lose that
part Of their bales the same as they
do freight, insurance, storage, sam
pies, etc. This is a live question, and
it is time for definite action on the
part of the growers, as they lave suf-
fered from an. unfair system long
enough"