The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-07-18
How Shall Stained Cotton be
Bleached?
N~INNSEORo'. June 80

IL lie Eiifo. of Hto Mars nnd Con-
rier: | ask the use # your columns
for the purpose OF calling attention 10
an important invention which i sadly
needed b. the farmers OF the South.
n one which. in my opinion. Will be
soon perfected, il the inventive genius
of the country can Be directed to IL.
| alIu,ie to some plan whereby Hinged
and stained" cotton may be bleached
upon b plantation before ballng. so
that The eG Famous profits now made by
manufacturers. who buy ut a reduced
rate and blcach after spinning at nom
mai cost, ma. De retained in the peck
cts of our farmers The principal
staining to which cotton is subjected
is the result Of frost. Ny theory OF it
is as follows: When frost is formed
upon bolIs which have not opened, the
sap vessels are rupturci by the treeZ-
ing or consolidation of the fluid, and
upon the thawing we have e~Xtrdvasa-
ton Of 81 ;. corresponding with extra
vasltion of blood in the animal king
dom. stain or diScoioring being the
result III either case. Cotton 50 acted
upon is in the early part OF the fall a.
good, both IN length and strength OF
fibre, as that which has preceded it III
the opening process, but does not ON
mand the same prices.
ii argument were needed to estab-
liSh the fact hat these cottonS are
easily whitehead. it would only be
necessary for me to assert the fact,
which all observant. thinking farmers
know. that these stains are removed
entirely by allowing cotton to remain
in the bolIs to be acted upon by the
rain. the winds and the sunshine.
which render it in a short time as
white as snow. But it is not good
economy 50 to act. rs the waste from
storms, &C.. from bleaching. Nor
can you rely hands who gather it
to distinguish between the white and
stained, and hence we not unfrequent-
" have a field in which twenty Of
more bales of white cotton havc
opened, lowered in grade by the gath
ering of four five bales which have
been stained. The result of this is the
falling off in price of the whole. or
twenty-five bales of stained cotton
sold when there should have heen
twenty of white and five OF stained.
L have known crops III which the
proportions Of white and stained We're
equal, and estimating the crop of the
South at 5000. 900. this would give
--F''-'VO paINN II " itNIi ''.h
be a falling oil i'll price say two ~
cents per pound. which makes the not
inconsiderate sum of So, $3.50. coo.
From this deduct one-half for iuaccu-
racies and cost of bleaching. and we
al safely estimate the amount to be
saved at 50. 600, 900 to $40. U00. 900.
But how are we to attain this end
What are to be the appliances where
with to accomplish this most desirable
result 1t is for the purpose of
directing attention to its solution that
this article has been penned. In my
opinion it may be done by an arrange
ment by means of which either gaS or
some other dry element may be made
to perlneate the cotton III the lint
whilst il is loose and light from the
ginning process. such as the introduce
ton Of chlorine gas. fumes OF sulphur.
or other cheap chemicals. by eau OF
pipes or otherwise. But as remarked
before. doub ing my abil tv 10 solve
the problem. and vet impressed with
the vast Importance of such Il di>coy-
cry to the farming interests. | have
felt It obligatory upon me to call atten
ton To the matter.
T. W. Woodward