Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1916-01-21

ands of bales Of cotton that have
been produced this year can be sold
on the local markets for the same
money as any of the improved varie-
ties, and be taken mp and passed on
to the spinners with not enough loss
to make the local buyers pay any at
tention to it, either the Department
men do not know what they are talk
ing about or there is deplorable
condition existing in the grading of
cotton on the local market. The De-
partment is either considerably mis-
taken or the average buyer of cotton
simply does not know anything about
the real value Of cotton. 1t seems
that there is some evidence to prove
that each of these statements is in
Ia measure truh.
There Must be n Difference
1t must be that the lint produced
from this half and half seed in Texas
and Oklahoma has not been so infer
Tor in staple as the samples upon
which the Department based its opin-
ion. AS far back as 1913, when this
point was first raised, | had an op-
portunity to send two samples Of lint
to man recognized as the best cot
ton classer in Oklahoma at that time.
1t will be remembered that 1919 was
bad year for quality in cotton. The
sample of half and half cotton was
submitted with information as to
what it was. The reply came back
that 1t was very sorry quality, and
would class as but little better than
buz-fuz", whatever that means in
the language of the cotton-classer.
It happened that this sample Of
cotton was grown by a farmer who
was also a demonstrator for an agent
of the farm demonstrating work in
Custer county, in western Oklahoma.
He also had field of cotton grown
from triumph seed, furnished him
by the agent the year before, and the
farmer had field-selected the seed
fr planting the 1913 crop. At this
time the cotton had most of it been
was bid for the triumph. But the
same price paid for the half and half
was pid for the triumph. Bue the
half and half cotton had out-Iinted
the triumph by more than eight per
cent.
This farmer was so puzzled that
he got a sample of the triumph and
had me send it for an opinion as to
its merits. No information was fur
nished as to the variety of the cot
ton; 1t being stated that It was grown
on the same farm and under the
same conditions as the former SAM
pie. When the report came IL stated
that the sample was in no way super
ior to the former sample and would
sell for the same on the market. This.
at least, was in harmony with the
opinion of the local cotton buyer who
had bought and paid the same for
each bale of cotton.
So this scores one for the local
cotton buyer if we try to place the
blame all on him.
The Average Increase
There is going to lot of this cot
ton in Oklahoma and Texas and. so
far as I have been able to find out.
It has made money instead of lost
money for those who have grown il.
Where it has been penalized one time
It has gotten by for equal value 100
times This may be a dangerous cot
ton for the future standard of Okla
homa cotton, but it is going to take
something more than a statement
from Washington to convince the
man who grows it and sells it for the
some price per pound of other impriv-
ed cottons, that it is not a good
hing to have on the farm.
The farm demonstration agent is
supposed to swat this cotton every
where ii sticks up its head. Those in
as close touch with this work as ! !
I'm know that these men can have
40 selfish interest and are absolutely
honest in believeing that they are
serving the best interests of the cot
ON industry of the State.
They claim that the cotton shows
% be of shorter staple, but admit
hat it is selling along with the other
2Ottons. l talked with a member of
1ne of the leading cotton firms of
Oklahoma and he said that the intro
luction of such seed as the so-called |
lalf and half was the worst thing
hat could happen to the cotton grow
RS of Oklahoma. asked him why?
And he replied that the stuff had no
spinning value; that it was short
md weak; that it was not worth .
more than half what the better grade
If short staple cotton would sell for.
Then asked i'm, If the staple cut |