Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-08-08
UNCLE SAM ESTABLISHES HIGH
STANDARD FOR MARKETABLE
QUALIFICATIONS.
TAKES STEP IN ADVANCE
OF ANY OTHER NATION
Department of Agriculture to Follow
System With Gradinss of Wheat and
Other Farm Products-Fraud Easily
Detected-sample Standards Being
Distributed.
Especial Correspondence


Washington, Aug. S.-Uncle Sam has
gone deep into the business of grad
Ing cotton. The department OF agrl-
culture has established what are known
as United states official cotton grades
which are giving every evidence OF
having great influence on the cotton
business of the country. That the ac-
ton taken with respect to cotton VIII
be followed by similar action with re-
spect to various other important aSrl-
cultural products, such as wheat ana
other importont grains, is not at all
unlikely.
No other country has gone anything
like as far as the United STATES Ids
gone in this matter. 1t is stirring UP
The greatest interest all thru the cot
ton industry in the United States ala
has excited no little attention in Eu-
rope ] Officials in charge of the work
believe that what is being done by the
government will work out to the ad-
vantage of all branches of the cotton
industry. Especially, they think it Will
benefit the producers of cotton.
How Grading is Done.
OF course, the government does not
actually go into the business of cotton
grading, save in a most limited sense.
What it does is to prepare samples or
types Of practically all the grades Of
cotton recognized in the commercial
world. These samples or types are
prepared with the utmost care. More
care is taken by far than is taken by
various cotton exchanges in the prepa-
ration of their samples. DR.. n. A. COBB,
cotton expert, is in charge OF the
work in the bureau of plant industry.
Under his supervision, samples OF cot
ton of the various grades are made up,
arranged in sets and distributed to as
sociations and organizations of cotton
men, cotton exchanges and agricu1tur-
al colleges for the purpose of familiar
izing the cotton trade with the official
cotton types. When this distribution
has been completed a more general dis
tribution among cotton dealers and
producers will be undertaken.
High Class Experts Employed.
Congress authorized Secretary Will
son to take steps for the preparation
of official cotton grades and experts of
the highest class We're employed. The
committee was made up of practical
cotton men, from various cotton cen
ters. Among its members were George
w. Neville, of New York, and Nathan
iel n. Thayer, Of Boston. Expert cot
ton ciassifers We're also utilized. This
committee prepared a set of nine grade
boxes, each containing samples of the
different grades of cotton, as they are
recognized in the markets. These
samples have been most carefully pre-
served. They are kept under lock and
key and can only be opened under or
ders from Secretary Wilson. More
over to prevent change or deteriora-
ton. they are carefully kept in vacuum,
in glass bulbs or tubes. from which all
air and moisture have been carefully
extracted These samples will keep,
it is believed, for many years, perhaps
hundreds of years, without change.
The idea of protecting them by keep
ing them in vacuums is new and was
evolved by the experts of the depart
ment of agriculture after deep study
of the subject.
Fraud Easily Detected.
The official grades having been made
up, the practical work now is to pre-
pare sets of samples or types Of the
various grades and distribute them
where they will afford the best guild
ance to the men in the cotton business.
complete set consists of nine grade
boxes, each containing twelve samples
representing as nearly as possible the
range of diversity in the grade repre-
scented. The boxes are twenty inches
square and inside the lid OF each is
attached a full size photograph show
| ing the appearance of the cotton when
certified by the secretary. The photo
graphs are used to prevent any tamper-
ing with the samples or any replacing
| of them with fraudulent samples. AS
each particle of trash and each mater
tal unevenness in the surface OF the
fcotton is shown in the photograph, 1t
is easy to detect any fraud. The seal
of the department of agriculture and
! the signature of the secretary, to-
gether with a seal impress certifying
photograph and it is serious offense
to tamper with the photograph. The
cotton grades or samples are sold by
! the government at the actual cost Of
their preparation, which is $50 set.
The New Orleans cotton exchange
has already adopted the official grades.
The Memphis exchange is expected to
and others will no doubt follow About
1000 sets will be distributed by the
government this year and there will
be demand for more. The system is
expected to introduce much more sta
bility and certainty into the cotton
business. from the grower to the mill.
LARGEST PLANT IN IOWA.