The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-11-28

/ Prepared by the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture)
The principal points to be consld-
cred in deciding the grade OF cot
| ton are:
% Foreign matter or impurities
! (such as leaf, dirt, sand, and also
strings. notes, neps. gin-cut tiber' cut
seed, and unripe fiber.
90 Color.
Strings in cotton are usually pro-
| duced by ginning wet or unripe seed
cotton. Notes are immature seeds or
ends of seeds that are pulled off in
the ginning Immature seeds are
found more or less in all cotton. Neps
look like small, white dots, and may
best be seen when thin layer OF the
cotton fibers is held toward the light.
Cut fibers show in punches and "
| shape kinks and give the sample a
rough appearance. 1t is difficult to
Judge the grade or value OF gin-cut
cotton. In order to be on the safe
side, the buyer often penalties such
cotton from one to three cents per
pounds. Neps and cut fibers may be
caused by feeding the gin too fast,
by the gin being in bad order, by the
presence of unripe fiber, or by damp
ness in the cotton when ginned.
Cut seeds are caused by fast gin
ming with a hard roller, and by broken
or bent gin-saw teeth that strike the
crate bars. Unripe fibers have a
glossy appearance and are usually mat
ted together. Bolls Of cotton picked
before they are well opened usually
contain unripe fibers. which are very
weak and lower the grade.
The amount of leaf, dirt and sand
in the sample depends upon the wealth
er. Usually there is very little lear
when the cotton is picked before the
vegetation is killed by frost. The dirt
and sand may be caused by either
wind or rain. Many of these impuri-
ties may be taken out at the gins by
! the use Of cleaners. Fifty pounds or
more can very often be extracted from
to-date machinery can be used for the
whole crop there would be but few
bales grading below low middling. II,
then, the cotton was sold On grade,
the increase in price would Offset the
loss in weight and at the same time
the cost for ginning would be reduced.
Much of the leaf, dirt, sand and
bulls may be removed by the use OF
"huller" gins (see fig. ~. All types
of gins (see fig. p, however, turn out
cleaner and better samples II the cot
ton is thoroughly dry when ginned.
The saws, brushes and other parts Of
the gin should also be in good condi-
ton IL a smooth sample Is to be OBJ
tanned. Cleaners used in connection
with low-grade cotton will improve the
sample from one to two grades.
The weather and the soil are the
factors that influence the color of
cotton. The early pickings when not
exposed to the rain usually have a
bright, creamy color, ind IL picked
with ordinary care should grade good
too long, however, the ulster is lost and
| the color of the cotton changed
to a dead" or blush white that may
reduce the grade to good middling
"off color" or perhaps middling or be-
low, depending upon the quantity of
trash and dirt. A rain may change
the same cotton to middling "tinged''
or middling stained" according to
the kind of soil and the quantity OF
the rain. Weather-tinged and wealth.
er-stained cottons are often of blu.
ish color, and when not grown on
sandy land generally contain mud
spots. The action of frost on the late
bolls before they open also causes
spots, tinges or stains, depending upon
the amount Of colored cotton that is
mixed with the white. This frost
cotton has a yellowish or buff color
and is usually weaker than other
tinged cotton, owing to the bolls be-
ing forced open before the fiber is
fully developed.
Cotton picked while wet with dew
! or soon AFTER RAIN VIII contain an eX
cess of moisture. This may cause
mildew and thus give the cotton q
blush cast. A bale Of cotton left ex
posed to the weather in the gin yard
very often has a widowed outer sur
face, or plate, and sample drawn
from near the surface of such a bale
may not afford fair representation Of
its color.
The United States official cottor
grades, as we'll as other grade stand
ards, require that cotton grading strict
good middling or above be Of bright
creamy or white color, and free from
any discoloration. A definite or fixed
color is not so absolutely required in
the grades below strict good mddling
For example, a middling may be
creamy or dead white, and the same
sample might grade below or above
middling. according as it contained
more or less impurities. In the grade.
Feeding Dried Potatoes.
Tho notatO-drYing industry has de