Americus times-recorder., 1919-11-14

! ing given currency throughout the
/ cotton belt:
To Cotton Growers, Dealers, Ginner.
and Shippers and Railroad Officers
and Employees:
Millions of dollars are lost every
year through improper storage of
cotton. This has been known in a
general way for long time by every
body interested in cotton, but prob
ably very few of US have ever sus-
nected what a tremendous factor
storage is in the trade, or the as
founding lot of money thrown away
by the Individual owner who lets a
bale of cotton stay on the ground.
Some tests conducted by the Unit
ed States Department of Agriculture
recently were brought to the atten-
ton of the United States Railroad
Administrat on, and their results
were so startling that the admins
tration desires to aid in gaining for
them widest possible dissemination
and most careful consideration.
The most striking fact disclosed
was that a 492-pound bale of cotton
stored flat on the ground for six
months lost 232 pounds, leaving 260
pounds for the market, while another
bale stored properly in a warehouse
lost only two pounds. This means
that, if the price was thirty cents a
pound, the loss on the first bale was
$1,000. The loss on the bale in the
warehouse was but sixty cents.
These tests occurred at Press No. /
of the St. Louis Cotton Compress
Company, Little Rock, Ark. Seven
bales of cotton were purchased by
of Agriculture and stor-
ed under various conditions from No
vember 25, 1918, to June 13, 1919.
Weekly observations were conducted
and complete reports prepared upon
the condition of the cotton through
out the period
Briefly, here is what the tests dis
closed:
Bale No /, fully protected in
weighed 494 pounds at
the start and had a net marketable
weight of 492 pounds when recondi-
toned at the end Of the test.
Bale Ne. 2, exposed on dunnage
and turned after each rain or once
week, dropped in net marketable cot
ton from 487 pounds to 480 pounds.
(Seven pounds lost.)
Bale No. 3, on dunnage on edge,
covered with tarpaulin and left with
out further attention during test,
dropped from 489 to 485 pounds.
-Four pounds lost.)
Bale No. 4, fiat on ground during
entire test, same surface down at all
times, dropped from 492 to 260
pounds 1882 pounds lost.) During
the test this bale absorbed moisture
until it weighed 912 pounds on June
T. In reconditioning 42O pounds of
moisture went out and 232 pounds of
moulded and ruined cotton were
thrown away.
Bale No. Son end on ground dur
ing the entire test, with same sur
face down at all times, dropped from
sos pounds to 385 pounds. Loss
120 pounds.)
Bale No. 6, on edge during test,
same surface down at all times, drop
ped from 503 to 438 pounds. Uoss
65 pounds.)
Bale No. 7, on edge on ground,
turned from time to time, at least
once a week, dropped from 495 to
473 pounds. (Loss % pounds.)
Inquiries by the agricultural sec
ton of the Railroad Administration
have developed that the tests actu
ally demonstrate what will happen
to average bales of cotton handled
in the same fashion, and do not rep
resent exceptional cases. Many prac-
tical illustrations could be cited to
support the result of each test.
While the grower and handler of
cotton are most vitally interested
and will benefit by needing the warn
ing given by these facts, the railroads
Plr1rasav will relieve