The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-02-04
Smith IS PLEASED.
Sees SAYINGS FOR FARMER In
new GRADING PLAN
MUST BE STANDARDIZED

Cotton Tests Conducted by the Gov
ernment Shows That There is an
Incredible Difference in the Selling
Value of the Various Grades and
Their Textile Worth.
Senator Cmith of South Carolina
the other day visited the Office of DR..
Cobb of the. department of agricul-
ture to see a demonstration of the
work inaugurated under the appropri-
alton obtained by him in the last
agricultural appropriation bill, "to
be. used in testing the waste, tensile
strength, and bleaching qualities OF
the different grades Of cotton as STAN
dardized by the government"
The work contemplated in this
amendment was carried on by the de-
partment at Clemson College, Dan
vile and in Washington. The result
has more than met the expectation
of Senator Smith in demonstrating
that the difference in the spin ming
value of the different grades, as stan
dardized by the government, is not
nearly so great as the difference now
fixed by the cotton trade. The differ
ence in the yarns made from good or
dinary, the lowest, grade under the
government Standardization, and
middling fair, the highest grade un-
der the government Standardization
of upland coton, is practically negli-
gible The cost of bleaching good
ordinary, and each of the grades
higher is practically the same. The
waste in converting the different
grades into yarn is considerably larg-
er in the lower grades, to wit, mid
ding, strict good ordinary, and ordi-
nary, but the commercial value Of
this waste appears to be the same.
These tests which are now prac-
tically ready to be demonstrated and
distributed throughout the country
establish the fact that the farmers
of the country have lost millions of
dollars because of the want of this
knowledge. It is claimed by an ex-
port that the state of Texas alone this
season has lost approximately s40,-
100000. From this estimate, it would
be safe estimate to say that South
Carolina has lost perhaps a million
this year.
Senator Smith is introducing an
amendment, intended to be proposed
by him to the agricultural bill, re-
quiring the department of agriculture
to furnish a set Of the standard sam
pies, as fixed by the government,
free of cost to every shipping point
in the cotton growing section which
ships sufficient number of bales an
nually to justify the use of set OF
these samples; and also to furnish
each shipping point, either with the
bulletin setting forth, the spinning
value of each grade as ascertained by
the recent tests, or set of yarns
bleached and unbleached, made from
each sample, with such other prod
ucts as were obtained from the test
from each grade, so that those who
sell cotton may be able to determine
for themselves what their grades are
and the value of these grades as COM
pared with each Of the other grades.
To illustrate, if middling should be
quoted as worth 13 cents, by refer
ence to the bulletin setting forth the
finding of the department the value
of ordinary would be readily deter
mined. So also, as indicated above, If
middling was worth 13 cents, and the
tensile strength, as tested by the gov
eminent, the cost Of bleaching and
the amount of waste from good ordi-
nary being determined should amount
to 10 points, or 70 cents per 100
more than for middling, then the diff
ference between middling and good
ordinary would be $3.50 per bale. A
telegram received some time ago by
Senator Smith in response to an in
quiry of the New York Exchange as
to the difference fixed by the ex-
change between good ordinary and
middling was to the effect that dif-
ference of 800 points, equal to SIS
per bale was made. Therefore, once
the grade was determined, the value
of that grade as compared with the
price of middling could be ascertain
ed fairly and impartially by both the
farmer and the buyer, as a result OF
this work.
Senator Smith, in speaking Of the
work, said: Unless these samples,
that is, a set Of the government
grades are obtainable for every ship
ping point, together with result of
the findings Of the department, the
value of these tests will not be fully
available to the cotton grower. To
illustrate this, the government has
decided that 36 inches shall make a
yard; if only one store or three or
four only in South Carolina had a
yard stick, those who would buy in
the stores which had nc yardstick
would be at the mercy Of the mer-
chant. Therefore it is essential that
every shipping point should have
set of these grades and the findings of
the department under these tests, as}
it is that every buyer and seller
should be furnished with yard stick
or a standard set of scales.
$50 gratifying are these results
that / propose now to have stains
and tinses standardized and their rel
ative spinning values, too, determin-
ed, in order to encompass the entire