The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-02-25
COTTON TEST ASSulND,
"A APPROPRIATION WILL BE PRO.
VlDfD FOR DETERMINING
VALUE OF STAPLE.
Coneressnaan Lever Well Pleased, ~
This Provision WIN Mean q Great
saving for Cotton Planters-Losing
on THIS Phase Now.

Washington, Feb. 2O.-Representa.
tive Lever Is well pleased with that
feature Of the agricultural appropria.
ton bill just reported to the house
rrom. his committee. which provides
IN substance the features Of a bill In.
troduce4 by him on January ~ Of
TINS year to enable the secretary Of
agriculture to investigate and deter.
mine the relative spinning values of
cotton as standardized by the govern
n.ent and for demonstrating the re-
suits OF such tests and carrying an
appropriation Of 100000 for this pur-
pose.
Speaking OF this item OF the bill,
Mr.. Lever said today:
When the appropriation bill for the
agricultural department was under
consideration for 1913 in the senate.
my colleague. Senator Smith. insert.
ed In 1t provision for testing the waste
tensile strength and bleaching quail
ties OF the different grades OF cotton
20 standardized by the government
and secured a small appropriation to
begin the work which has progressed
very satisfactorily In the department.
senator Smith's work in this respect
Is to be most heartily commended by
those acquainted with the conditions
OF the cotton trade. My bill. which
In enect. 10 carried in the annual ap-
preparation bill which I have just re.
ported. seeks. first. to provide suffl-
cient money to test tensile strength.
waste and bleaching qualities Of all
grades OF cotton as standardized by
the government, and at the same time
goes a step further and provides the
authority and the necessary funds
for conducting experimental demon
strations to the cotton trade. espe-
cially the producer OF the value Of
this work.
:. Upon inquiry at the department
ascertained that the present appro-
priauop, for this work was entirely
inadequate for an expeditions COM
pletion ,:of it, and that the present
funds, have permitted tests of only
one length Of staple. namely, one
inch upland cotton.
The; appropriation provided. in
my bin. and inserted by the commit
tee N the appropriation bill, would
pcrmit similar tests on ,-S-inch, "a
inch, 1-inch and 1-2-mch, and
make it possible to demonstrate the
results Of these tests in various cot
ton centres Of the country. The work
provided in this item will 60 far to-
ward determining the most important
elements involved in the determine
ton Of the intrinsic value Of the dif-
ferent grades Of cotton. and at the
same time make it possible to bring
this information promptly to the at
tention OF cotton producers ana to the
cotton trade generally.
THE appropriation will enable the
department also to extend this work
to all OF the standardized grades.
whereas the present appropriation has
permitted this to be done with re
spect to only Ave grades and that with
only 1-inch length staple.
THE time has come when we must
take into account the very important
matters OF seeing to 1t that as far
as possible the farmer should receive
the intrinsic value OF. his products.
II have no doubt that the South
ern farmers are losing anywhere from
&1o0.oo0.o0o to 3150.Ooo. 1000 on their
annual cotton crop. because they have
not been taught to know. as these
tests and demonstrations will show,
that tho difference In the market
value OF low grade and high grade
cotton is intrinsically and compare
lively small.
THE work Of thu department in
making the tests Of l-inch upland
staple should be extended as expe-
ditiously as possible to all lengths and
to all grades Of cotton. and when
the results have been secured they
should not be allowed to be locked
up In Warrington. but should be made
available In the most practical way
to the cotton producers in the coun-
try. I am extremely gratined that
the committee. Of which I am chair
man. was kind enough to allow this
itcm to go into the bill.
'Thcse demonstrations must result
inevitably in so arousing the cotton
producers Of the several States that
tho legislatures thereof will be forced,
rs they should be. to provide Off
tally cotton grades In every cotton
market within them.
When the farmer Is taught TO
know what he is losing in the value