Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1917-11-16
How no COMPARE SAMPLE VILE oEEIeIAL STANDARD.
prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.1

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.)
Guesswork now plays too large a
part in determining the value of cot
ton. If this crop is to be sold on its
merits, buyers and growers alike must
learn to know Its value. Under the
present method of selling, the staple
of cotton and its grade or cleanli-
ness are judged casually Unless cot
ton is properly classed the farmer In
most instances does not receive full
value for his product.
CHASING cotton is an experts job
when 1t covers all the grades and quail
titles, but growers themselves can learn
to know whether they are receiving
fair prices by studying the three prln-
clpal grades-low middling, middling,
and good middling -and comparing
samples of their own cotton with sets
Of the official cotton standards pre-
pared by the United States department
Of agriculture. Bulletins of the de-
partment describe the use Of these
standards both for the buyer and the
grower
For beginners 1t Is easier to match
cotton against these standards If types
Of the cotton to be graded are placed
for the time being in box similar to
the box containing the standards. The
anffNr ~ ha oIoScad thnn nav hn
matched by comparing the samples
with the different standard types I'M
til the class Is determined. This meth
cd gives greater surface for COM
parison and also practically the same
light on each box. Difference in light
causes the same cotton to appear diff
ferent at times. Classers often dis
agree as to the grade or class Of a
sample even after reference has been
made to the standards.
Official Standards.
The official cotton standards Of the
United States were prepared to rep
resent the various grade or class char
acteristics of cotton grown throughout
the cotton belt. In making copies Of
these standards for sale, cotton has
been selected from almost every cot
ton-growing state. Each grade box
contains twelve samples, so as to In
dictate the range or diversity allowed
within the grade; for example, there
may be one type Of low middling that
is of a reddish cast with bright leaf,
and another that has a grayish or
blush cast with blackish leaf in one
sample the leaf may be in large pieces,
while In another 1t may be broken up
in small pieces known as ''pin'' leaf,
The same condition Is true to some ex-
tent within the grade boxes Of each
Of the nine official grades, the diver
sity being less marked above middling
than below. Still more latitude has
been allowed in the preparation of
the standards for color
The cotton classer is continually en-
counterlng bales that will pass for a
certain grade or class Of cotton, al
though they DO not resemble Identical
ly and particular type in the standard.
In reality, no two bales of cotton are
exactly alike. Many samples must be
assigned to certain grade according |
to their valuation based on the stand |
ard.
SkyIIcht Is Desirable.
A skylight is considered more de- |
sirable for viewing cotton than a side
light. However, when it Is not feas-
ible to add skylight, several large
windows may be placed side by side /
preferably In the wall facing north.
The table for holding the grade boxes
should have a top inclined toward the
light at an angle of approximately 30
degrees in a room where skylight is
used and at about As degrees where
the side light Is used.
In sampling bale Of cotton for
CHASING, about three ounces should be
drawn. from each side of the bale.
When samples are drawn from bale
of compressed cotton they should be
exposed to the air before grading so
that the matted condition and dead
ened color may disappear. Classers
are liberal In grading compressed cot
ton because the leaf and dirt are more
condensed and become more conspicu-
GUS than in uncompressed cotton,
therefore an allowance Of about one
half grade should be made when class
ing compressed cotton Immediately az
ter sampling
Samples from bales should be drawn
in smooth sheets and preferably when
the bale is dry. The sample being
classed should be unfolded three or
four times and examined, since the
leaf and dirt are not always evenly
distributed. The uneyenness Is due
largely to the fact that the cotton In
any such sample came from different /
parts Of the field ard was perhaps
picked by a nuKl.-g Of pcFToas The (