The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-05-24
iIMPROVED COTTON GINNING,
An Interesting Letter from Scientific
Planter.

Planter.
Major Harry Hammond, Of Beech
Island, is one oft the most original think
crs in this State, besides being thor
oughly versed in all the components
Of thorough education. AS a census
supervisor he haS 9esteWesSA W2!aaeh 2!afato IA;
this State, and is in a. position to thor
oughly comprehend tile difficulties and
drawbacks IN the perfection of this
great industry. The following ex-
tract from u'letter to Edward Atkin-
son will therefore be read with inter-
est. After showing that the gimhouse
is the strategic point in: cotton manu.
facture, and that in the preparation of
cotton for the market lies chance for
the grestcstimprovcment. he adds:
The gin cannot 60 TO; the cotton, that
must come to it. and it now does 50
from distances that only admit Of two
and sometimes one load being made
in the day. Small stationary steam
engines are now very popular. The
objections to them are the poor work
that all small concerns do Of necessity,
the impracticability of obtaining in
telligent management and skilled gu
perintendcncc, the cost Of running
them and Of making repairs promptly
IN the open country. together with the
ever-present risk of fire. 1t seems to
inc that water powers immediately on
the lines OF railways are in every re-
spect best adapted to this purpose.
The only gin house l have seen which
would In any way answer as Il model,
is the one mentioned to YOU at the
Glendale Factory, in Spartanburg,
South Carolina, and it is not on a line
OF railway and cannot accomplish half
what it should. You may remember
that told you that wagons with seed
cotton were driven Directly on to a
scale, weighed and tolled. The cotton
was easily and rapidly thrown down
into hopper. and instead of being
tediously and laboriously lifted in
sheets or baskets, most frequently by
hand, up a fight Of stairs, into the
ginning room, was conveyed from this
hopper on all endless apron Of cheap
construction to platform in the build
ing. From this platform two small
boys with wooden rakes pushed into
the automatic feeders Of three Hall
gins. Thence it passed through con-
dcnscrs Immediately to the press. a
skilled workman "a attendance on the
gins closes the door Of the press, shifts
loose belt, and the bale is packed.
Meanwhile the cotton seed is deliver
ed at another point by belt. AS soon
as the wagon is unloadcd it drives to
the latter place, trap-door opens aud
| the seed falls into the wagon, which
then moves few feet further and re-
ceivcS the bale on top. The whole
| operation is completed under the eve
OF the customer, within the space of
twenty minutes. This is at q very
prosperous cotton factory, but I am
told that this ginning is by far the
most profitable of ali their operations,
| Cotton is brought to it from eleven
miles around, and sometimes forty
wagons with seed cotton may be
counted in q line waiting for their
turn at the gin house. So far arc these
arrangements ahead of ANYTHING
known in practice here, that when I
gave my ncighbors an account of il nt
our Agricultural Club, it seemed to
them like some fairy tale. This is thc
only gin house know of, or, as | be-
licvc. which exists within our borders
that does business of sufficient size
10 sccnre that intelligent and skilled
labor in its management that would
justify the adoption Of the improve.
! mcnts YOU suggest, The establish
ment m.ght safely and chcaply expert
tho Dobson or the Platt Bros, roller,
! gin, the beatcr and the Dcdrick press