The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-10-24
HOW a BEGINNER CAN LEARN
COTTON CHASING.
Take Fair SAMPLES and Compare
Carefully with Standards, Which
Must BE Well Protected.

Washington, oct. 1S.--Class.nG cot
ton is an experts Job when it covers
all the grades and qualities, but grow
'rs can learn to know whether they
are receiving fair prices for their cot
ton by studying the three principal
gnades-Low middling. middling. and
good middling-and comparing sam
pies of their own cotton with sets Of
the official cotton standards prepar-
cd by the United States Department of
Agriculture. In a recent bulletin Of
the Department of Agriculture, The
Classification of American Upland
Cotton" which gives the various
classilications of cotton, the writer's
'cli how grower, as we'll rs the eX-
pert classer, may use the Official stan
dards in making determinations o.
cotton values.
For beginners it is easier to match
cotton against these standards il
types OF the cotton to he graded arc
placed for the time being in a box
similar to the box containing stand
ards. The cotton to lc classed then
may be matched by comparing the
| samples with the different standard
types until the class is determined.
This method gives o greater surface
Tor comparison and also practically
The same light on each box. Differ
ence in light causes the same cotton
10 appear different at times. Class
era often disagree as to the grade o..
class Of sample even after refer
cnce has been made to the standards
The official cotton standards OF The
| nited States were prepared TO rep
resent the various grade or class
characteristics Of cotton grown
throughout the cotton belt. In max
ing copies of these standards for sale
cotton has been selected from almost
every cotton growing state. Each
grade box contains twelve samples. s.
as to indicate the range of diversity
|
ample, there may be one type of low
lniddling that IS of n reddish cast
with bright leaf, and another that has
u grayish or blush cast with blackisn
| 'oaf; in one sample the leaf may be in
| large pieces, while in another it may
be broken up in small pieces known
as pin leaf" The same condition
is true to some extent within the
grade boxes of each of the nine Off
.cial grades, the diversity being less
marked above middling than below
Still more latitude has been allowed
in the preparation Of the standards
for color For instance, in the same
hpX. q middling yellow tinged type
from Oklahoma may have Il reddish
or pinkish cast, while q middling
yellow tinged type from Georgia or
Alabama may have n duller or gray
ish cast.
The cotton classer is continually
cncOuntoring bales that will pass for
Il certain grade or class Of cotton al
though they do not resemble identi-
fcally any particular type i'm the stand
ard. In reality, no two bales OF cot
ton are exactly alike. Many samples
must be assigned 10 n certain grade
according to their valuation on tn
standard.
A skylight is considered moro de-
sirablc for viewing cotton than a
side light. However, when it is no.
feasible to add n skylight. several
large windows may be placed side by
SIDE preferably in the wall facing
north. The table for holding tho
grade boxes should have top in
c!ined toward the light at an angle OF
approximately thirty degrees in a
room wher n skylight is used, al
ABOUT 40 degrees where the side light
is used.
In sampling a bale of cotton for
GUESSING, ABOUT three ounces should be
diawn from each side Of the bale.
When samples are drawn from n bale
OF compressed cotton they should b.
-"poSeo 10 the air before grading SO
mat the matted condition and dead
ched color may disappear. Classer.;
ere liberal in Grading compressed cot
on because the leaf crd dirt are moro
condensed and becomes more CON
&picuous than in uncon,pressad on,
'or' therefore an allowance OF abor;
- grade should be made when class
ing compressed cotton immediotely
2ftcr sainpling.
Samples from bales should bo
"'""h III smooth sheets and prefer
apiy when the bale is dry. The sam