The weekly soliphone., 1915-04-23

tention of the department of agricul- ture has been directed to the fact that active campaigns have resulted in the introduction into portions of 1 Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas of a variety of cotton called "Half-and- Half" It is reported that the seed l has been sold for as much as $5.OO per bushel, under the representa- tion that it is an exceedingly pro- life variety, yielding fifty per cent of lint. or 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 concerning this cotton.
 The departments representatives have examined many samples of Half -and-Half" cotton from these states and have grown it in exper- imental plantings, and have found it far inferior to cotton ordinarily produced Ill LulS SeCL1Ous
 The departments field tests on numerous varieties have shown that "Half-and-Half" does not maintain 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 cottno by lint percentage has been explained in Bureau of Plant h. dustry Circular No. II, and the eau tion has been repeated in U. s. Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 60.
 The lint of the "Half-and-Half" variety is of poor character, irregu- lar, wasty and very short, large portion of the samples examined be- ing less than seyen-eighths of an inch in length of staple, Cotton less than seven-eighths of an inch is untenderable on future contracts made under the provisions 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 varie- ty have succeeded in selling it at prevailing prices, but this cannot long continue. When cotton of less than seven-eighths of an inch in length sells for full market price, it is because it's true character was not detected. Whenever cotton firms find a large part of the cot ton in any community falling to seven-eighths of an inch or less in length, buyers will be withdrawn from the district or they will scale down the prices on all grades to meet the lower prices which must be expected for such short staple.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 it's lint is far inferior to that commonly grown in their territory and is not acceptable to their reg ular customers.
 Competent spinners have stated that this variety as ordinarily grown produces so short fiber as to render it wholly unsuitable for the class of work which now con- sumes the great bulk of the cotton of the western belt.
 Before this agitation became gen eral a high grade sample of this cotton was submitted by the depart ment to wto prominent members of l the New Orleans cotton exchange, who, on the first attempt to pull | the staple, stated that the fiber was so short that it would be rejected as "perished saple" by their classi- fication committee and would not be tenderable on New Orleans cot ton contracts. Two members of the New York cotton exchange, to WHOlu SAIL pl6S were SublulIIcuy uduS practically the same remarks,
 Various cotton exchanges in the southwestern states have taken off cial action to prevent the delivery of this cotton on contracts made be- tween their members.
 As grown in Texas, it is lacking in storm proof quality, as the cot ton drops from the bolls very easi- ly and the individual seeds often fall apart.
 Repeated complaints are received from English spinners of the num- Der of milky bales of American cotton. This condition arises large ly through the introduction of short staple into long staple cotton terri tory, or of long staple into commu- mites growing short staple cotton. Any serious mixing of varieties which have fibers of different l