Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-24
Staple as Effecting
49,. Price of Cotton

One of the ways in which the cot
ton farmer can recoup himself for
a minimized yield as a result of boil
weevil infestation is through the Gull
tivation of varieties which show a
staple of 1.25 inches up to LIS
inches. There is no field in which
the plant breeder can render the
grower a more acceptable and essen
tial service. Cotton which is dis
tinctly below staple, for instance,
may be worth only to 4 cents a
pound, whereas middling cotton,
showing an inch of staple, may be
worth 20 cents. AS the staple in
creases in length, the price rises
rapidly. For instance, white stand
ard middling fair, seven-eighths to
an inch in length, may be worth
1875 cents. When the length approx
mates one and one-siXteenth inches,
it becomes worth 81 cents. When it
attains a length of one and one
eighth inches it is worth 25 cents.
When the length reaches one and
three-SiXteenth inches it is worth
% cents, and when one and one
fourth inches, So cents. It is easy
to see how a slight addition to the
length of the staple of cotton may
therefore make a relatively small
crop, resulting from weevil damage,
bring as much or more than was
ever obtained from many of the va
rieties grown in the past. These
facts show how we may recoup our
selves against weevil damage to a
large extent. There is no reason
why an increased length of staple
and early maturity cannot be cor
related. Our experience with the
Meade upland long staple amply
= demonstrates this fact. This phase
of the cotton industry opens up one
Of the most alluring fields to the
talented plant breeder.
Prevention of Harvest Damage
The proper grading, ginning and
storing of cotton has much to do
with the profits made by the land.
owner and the value of the lint to
our industries. Few people realize
the great damage which has been
done to cotton by allowing it to
stand in the field after it is ready
to harvest. A sample of College No.
1, which matured September 20, and
was gathered at that date, carried
the grade of strict middling. It's
value on January l., 1921, was 16 3-4
cents per pound. The same cotton
left in the field until November l
took the grade of low middling, and
its value on January /, 1921, was
IL Ia cents. The same strain of
cotton when left in the field to De-
cember classed as good ordinary.
Its value on January 1, 1921. was
Ia cents pound. The same
strain of cotton when picked Janu-
1 ole oil
grade. It was therefore not ten
of January 1, 1921, was 8 to cents
pound. Here we have loss Of
more than 400 per cent in value in
a period of a little over two months,
due primarily to-: weathering agen-
cieS alone. In. the same way the
farmer causes much of his cotton to
be classed below the grade in which
a majority of the staple he has
grown should fall. For instance, If
some low middling is mixed with
strict middling, the bale is naturally
classed as low middling. Cotton
should be gotten out of the field as
promptly as possible. j.. IS h:rt
Cotton should not be ginned when
it is wet, as the fiber will be, cut, and
this may seriously reduce the grade
and the value for spinning purposes. 7
All white, cotton should be kept sep
arate from any that may be stained
or tinged. All newly -matured cotton
should be gathered Z, separately and
kept away from that which might be
gathered later and has thus been
exposed to the vicissitudes of the
weather. After the cotton has been
properly ginned, so as to protect the
staple, it should be stored in the
warehouse and thus avoid weather or
country damage, which may amount
to S. per bale. 1t is naturally de.
sirable that cotton be properly sam
pied and efficiently graded. Careless
ness in this respect may result in a
loss to the producers of anywhere
from S. to $40 per bale. The aggre-
gate of the losses indicated above
runs into millions of dollars each
year. These losses represent part
Of the toll we pay for ur inef1iciency
In not teaching the boys and girls
something about cotton through the
medium of our public schools and
our high schools. 1t represents
part of the great intangible tax
which all of us have TO pay, and
which may be properly charged UP
to our national Indifference with ref
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