The Prescott daily news., 1915-03-05
WARNING AGAINST
 "HALF-AND-HALF" COTTON
Has Been Introduced in Arkansas Texas and Oklahoma.-Samples Show 1t to be Far Inferior to
 the Ordinary Cotton

|"ilPalSHS nave results Tn the intro ductlon into portions of Oklahoma Texas and Arkansas of a variety of cotton called Half and Half. Ii is reported that the seed has been sold for as much as $5.30 per bushel, un- der the representation that it is an exceedingly prolific variety, yielding fifty per cent of lint, or a five hundred pound bale from one thousand pounds of seed cotton. Many inquiries have been received from planters through out this section asking for advice con- corning this cotton.
 The Departments representatives have examined many samples of Half and-Half" cotton from these States and have grown it in experimental plantings, and have found it far in- ferior to cotton ordinarily produced in this section.
 The Departments field tests on nu- merous varieties have shown that Half -and-Half" does not maintain a high rank in total lint yield per acre. The large proportion of lint to seed apparently results from the fact that the seeds are very small and light. The danger of judging cotton by lint percentages has been explained in Blu reau of Plant Industry Circular No. II, and the caution has been repeated in U. s. Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 60.
 The lint of the Half and Half" var iety is of poor character, irregular, wasty and very short, large portion of the samples examined being less than seven-eigths of an inch in length of staple. Cotton less than seven eights of an inch is untenderable on future contracts made under the pro- visions of the United States Cotton Futures Act, and therefore buyers will penalize it whenever discovered.
 The Department is informed that many persons who grew this variety have succeeded in selling it at pre- vailing prices, but this can not long continue. When cotton of less than seven-eights of an inch in length sells for full market price, it is because it's true character was not detected, Whenever cotton firms find 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 thed istrict or they will drawn from the district or they will to meet the lower prices which must be expected for such short staple.
 Many interior buyers as we'll 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 produces so short fiber as to rem der it 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 nigh grade sample of this cot ton was submitted by the Depart ment 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 it would he rejected at per ished staple" by their classification committee and would not be tender able on New Orleans cotton contracts. Two members of the New York Cotton Exchange. to whom samples were sub mitted. made practically the same re- marks.
 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 differ ent lengths results in serious losses Tn waste whenever the cotton is spun upon machinery adjusted for the lon ger varieties. Spinners will be quick to discover any serious admiXture 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