Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-05-09
CorroN EVILS ANDrnrIR REnEDr

mucn IL OWING, mas read before lne New
England Cotton Manufacturer Association
important paper on cotton ginning, il
which he says that one reason he urged as
motive for holding the Atlanta Cotton Elk
position was that the cotton crop of the
United States is every year deprecated q
cent pound, or S30,000,000 ON 100000
bale crop. New England cotton manufac-
tnrers and Lnachinists who attended the ex-
position have more than sustained this state
ment OF the loss. They almost unanimously
estimate that the labor expended in the pres
ent bad method of handling is twice much
"a is needed, and il the whole loss of the plant
ers from waste labor, waste in ginning, waste
in baling, in transportation, in COMPRISING
and in store by packing, stealing, and by waste
at every point, could be computed, the loss
would be found to be nearer two cents pound,
or SG00O0,OO0 year. Two competent gen.
tlemen, one graduate of Harvard College
and the son of an Alabama cotton planter,
the other mechanical engineering graduate
OF the institute OF technology, have devoted
several weeks 10 a study OF the present
methods OF working cotton in Georgia and
Alabama. Their report shows that the de-
probation OF the crop is becoming worse,
and that little or nothing has yet been done
toward remedying defects. Ginning and
baling are usually done by ginneries run by
horsepower, or by steam-power. The first
is most common and is always used when
the grower gins for himself and neighbor
or two. The ginhouse, usually rough two
story construction, receives the cotton brought
from the field in wagons and carried up
ladder in baskets to the upper story. Four
mules supply the power The lint is thrown
by a brush into the lint-roon, which gees
from one TO ten years without being swept
out, aiiording little encouragement for care
ful packing. The press is the old "Buzzard-
Wing" and stands about fifty feet from the
ginhouse, and there the lint has to be carried
through wind and dirt in all weathers.
Most of the cotton is now left lying about
wherever it may be most convenient to place
it after being pressed, where it is exposed TO
wind and rain and other causes of injury
China and India could not show ruder
manipulation, considering the Importance of
the work TO be done. The improvements
making IN this class of ginneries is the in
PRODUCTION of an improved press in place of
the buzzard-wiug. The condenser attached
to the gins makes the lint-room unnecessary,
and, when steam-power is used, the old rum
ning-gear is laid aside. With steam power
the presses are generally of an improved
kind, of which there is great variety; but
their use by hand is more frequent than by
steam. The buildings are great improve
ments on the old plantation houses; the ma
chinery is better and more carefully tended,
and the facilities for handling the cotton are
superior TO those of the old style. 1t is
doubtful, however, whether the cotton is
turned out in any better condition than in
the primitive way. Indeed there is reason
to fear. it is more injured. In the
season the ginneries are crowded with
work, all wanting to have their cotton done
that they may return home, and their chief
aim is to get the greatest possible amount of
cotton from the lint The gin-owner is in
terested in getting out as many bales as he
can, and works 10 accommodate his custom
er's wishes, and obtaining as much toll as he
can, rather than in turning out good, unin-
-iured staples a thing his customers little
--rT--sses.7- ~ .sI Asltti,ery ~ 1reo-Ht ~
highest speed, and is worked close as pos
lint "Nepped" and oYer-ginned cotton is
probably mainly dae to these practices
The vast fund OF information spread by the
Atlanta Exposition, and the margin of profit
to be made out of one or two cents pound |
depreciation are happily beginning to pro-
duce results. Around Hogansville, Ga, for |
instance, about two-thirds of the farmers are |
now planting selected seed, using the infor-
nation they gained at Atlanta to save the |
material in good condition and prepare it
properly. Where Northern investments have |
been made on large plantations on the N is
sissippi river, the mansgers are arrang-
ing to establish their own brand by
which each grade of cotton can be
known, and for which they stand |
responsible, 30 that each shall be as
true to its title as are the goods coming
from the eastern factories. The representa-
tives of some of the railroads, especially in
Texas, have sought information as to the
best method of establishing public ginneries,
including capital enough to buy seed-cot-
ton-in Texas it is more customary than
elsewhere to buy cotton in the seed--prepare
it and put it on the market with the brand
OF the ginnery so that their product shall be
known. Oil-mill managers In many places
are planning to attach cotton gins to their
works and to buy seduction. These changes
however, viii proceed slowly, as outside of
Texas, cotton is rarely sold in the seed while
the lien laws, that subject the farmer to the
siorekeeper, put difficulties in the way OF es-
tablishiDg fair practice of dealing in seed
IA ~
ginning for toll yields an ample profit, and
will probably aid the progress of improve
ment as it becomes clear that uninjured
product will pay the best. A model ginnery
for handling 5000 bales of cotton in
a season OF 100 days, thirty bales day,
with buildings for work and storage, and with
three eighty-saw gins for common work and
two rollergins for extra sample, cleaners for
dirty seed-cotton, and exhaust blower 10 lift
the cotton from the wagons and distribute it
to cotton-seed huller, by which the bulls
can be separated from the kernel, and all the
other requisite machinery, can be put up
Including twenty-five per cent. for contingent
cies-for under $4,000. Such an establish
meut could either gin for toll, or Luy seed
cotton-burning the bulls for fuel, unless
they were found more valuable for other pur-
poses-sending the kernels to the oil-mill,
the cake, when the oil had been expressed,
TO be returned, ground at the gin and dis
posed of as cotton-seed meal. Such an es-
Establishment would save the "motes," imma-
ture seed with its attached fibres, they con-
stituie from one to four per cent. of the weight
Of the cotton, and they make excellent paper
stock. / know nothing offering A>large a y
profit as this, and there is room
for Northern men desiring start G
10 benefit Themselves and their farmer neigh
bors. A small capital would bring the whole
cotton crop under scientific treatment, if only
q correct beginning were made. A 3000-bale t
establishment would cost less than $4,000. I
Two thousand such establishments scattered
over the cotton belt, each handling 5000 :
bales season, would prepare 6,0O0, 900 bales ]
anaually, and would represent capital of e
|S24 100000. Less than this would be neces-
sary. Seduction well stored will keep in :
definitely; If the custom were introduced of /
purchasing in that condition, the ginning C