The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-03-07

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ty is of poor character, irregular,
wasty and very short, a large portion
of the samples examined being less
than seven-eighths of an inch in length
of staple. Cotton less than seven
eighths of an inch is untenderabe on
future contracts made under the pro-
visions of the United States cotton fu-
lures act, and therefore buyers will
penalize it whenever discovered.
The department is informed that
many persons who grew this variety
have succeeded in selling at prevail
ing prices, but this can not long con-
tinue. When cotton of less than sew
en-eighths of an inch in length sells
for full market price, it is because
| its true character was not detected.
| Whenever cotton firms find a large
part of the cotton in any community
falling to seven eighths of an inch
or less in length, buyers will be with
drawn from the district or they will
scale down the prices on all grades to
meet the lower prices which must be
expected for such short staple.
Many interior buyers, as well as
practically all the larger cotton firms,
have declined to handle this cotton at
any price. They state that its lint is
far inferior to that commonly grown IN
their territory and is not acceptable
to their regular customers.
Competent spinners have stated that
this variety as ordinarily grown pro-
duces so short a fiber as to render 1t
wholly unsuitable for the class OF
work which now consumes the great
bulk of the cotton of the western belt.
Before this agitation became gen
eral a high-grade sample of this cot
ton was submitted by the department
to two prominent members OF the New
Orleans Cotton Exchange, who, on the
first attempt to pull the staple, stated
that the fiber was so short that 1t
would be rejected as 'perished staple
by their classification committee ana
would not be tenderable on New Or
leans cotton contracts. Two members
of the New York cotton exchange, to
whom samples were submitted, made
practically the same remarks.
Various cotton exchanges in the
southwestern state have taken official
action to prevent the delivery of this
cotton on contracts made between
their members.
As grown in Texas, it is lacking in
storm-proof quality, as the cotton
drops from the bolls very easily and
the individual seeds often fall apart
Repeated complaints are received
from English spinners of the number
of milky" bales of American cotton.
This condition arises largely through
the introduction of short staple into
long staple cotton territory or of long
staple into communities growing short
staple cotton Any serious mixing
of varieties which have fibers of diff
ferent lengths, results in serious losses
in waste whenever the cotton is spun
upon machinery adjusted for the long
er varieties. Spinners will be quick
to discover any serious mixture of
shorter and inferior cotton, and the
growers will suffer if such varieties
become popular in their territory.
In view of these facts the depart
ment warns the farmers of Oklahoma,
Texas and Arkansas, that the introduc-
ton of Half and Half, or any other
variety of cotton producing fiber of
less than seven-eighths of an inch in
average length will be likely to seri-
ously damage the reputation of their
local markets, and may result in a
few years in basing the price in such
markets on this inferior cotton. These
same districts are now receiving a
slight premium over the regular quota
tions for short staple. 1t will be a
matter of particular regret to see the
results of the campaign which has