Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1917-02-03
COTTON GRADE LOSSES
Amounts to Millions of Dollars in
Southern States.
Producers Can Have Large Share in
Improving Conditions-Great and
Inconsistent Variations in
Prices Paid.

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of AgricultureD
The more or less general failure of
cotton buyers and cotton producers to
take grades into account in the pri-
mary sales of the fiber probably results
in losses to the growers amounting TO
millions Of dollars each year. Stud
les of market specialists Of the de-
parttnent in representative towns In
the nine principal cotton producing
states of the South indicate that the
losses probably totaled seven and a
half million dollars in 1914 alone.
Cotton producers themselves can
have q large share in improving these
conditions. The growers should IA
miliarize themselves with grades and
should insist that the proper classic
cation be given their bales by buyers.
The economic Importance Of securing
proper ginning, adequate baling and
covering. the proper storage also
should he recognized.
Great Variations Found.
Surveys conducted by the special
lists have showed that there are great
and insistent variations I'm prices paid
for cotton of different grades. The
average of prices on observed transac-
lions I'm Alabama for one month. for
example, las 1851 cents for strict
good ordinary and 13.47 cents for
strict good middling, the latter being
six grades better than the former. The
higher grade of cotton thus sold for
20 cents less per bale than that OF
the lower grade. when on the basis Of
New Orleans differences, il was actu-
ally worth $3.50 per bale more. The
Inconsistencies and differences were
especially apparent among the higher
grades above middling. This is most
unfortunate since it shows a failure to
recognize the value of Improvement
of cotton varieties by growers and in
effect puts premium on careless and
Indifferent farming.
Marked differences in the prices
paid for cotton Of the same grade In
the same markets on the same day
also were disclosed by the survey. Thus
middling cotton of 1-16 inch staple
in a certain market brought 13 cents a
pound. while middling of ] Il inch sta
pie at the same place and on the same
day brought only 1905 cents. The lat
ter cotton should have brought one
half cent more than that of the short
or staple bale. Therefore, If the ] 1-16
-
other bale sold for at least $3.50 be-
low ITS real value. While all varia-
tons observed were not as great as
this, wide differences were found in
numerous instances in every state
where investigations were conducted.
Geographical Price Variations.
Inconsistencies in the valuation of
tinged and stained cotton also were
observed, the differences made in some
cases between two bales of cotton of
being greater than the amount paid
for the cheaper bale.
The survey showed that for the
some grades the prices paid were on
the whole considerably greater in the
eastern cotton states than I'm those
west of the Mississippi. These differ
enceS. according Ia the specialists.
were much greater than differences in
freight rates TO mills alone would ac-
count for. The other factors in favor
Of the East are believed to have been
the direct purchase by mill buyers, the
existence of good storage facilities. the
availability of relatively cheap money,