The Russellville Democrat., 1884-02-28
RUssELLvILLE POPE co. ARK, FEBRUARY %. 1884


Memphis Avalanche.l
Memphis has started cut with the
determination to be in the front in
all departments Of the great race ol
progress The latest contribution t.
the large list OF improvements fol
which Memphis should be credited
is the cotton harvester recently pat
onted by Mr.. Fred L. Warner, of this
city. The machine is COTTON up or
an idea different from that followed
BY the great majority Of inventors
who have attempted to produce
COTTON PICKER,
and tried to make a machine which
will, in every particular, take the
place Of human labor. Owing to OBJ
stacles which suggested themselves
to every one who reflects moment
ut is clear that such a machine il
practically speaking, an impossibili
lty. Mr.. Warner does not attemp tt
do this, but instead has confined him
self to the idea Of making harvest
er with which to go into the field af
ter cotton has fully matured or after
frost has ended its growth, and gath
er all the fleecy staple. HIS machine
gathers all the cotton leaving the
stalks bare. The mechanism is very
simple. The harvester is mounted
on two wheels which supply the
needed power by means of an iron
belt. When in operation the ma
chine straddles row of cotton. Two
endless belts--each three feet in
width, armed with iron ''rakes,' and
running rapidly upward--seize the
cotton bolls, etc, as the plant passes
between them and carry them up
ward and over into receptacles on
each side of the machine, where they
fall upon elevator shaped belts which
carry them back to spacious box in
the rear OF the harvester.
TWO PRACTICAL TESTS,
made at different times during the
past few weeks, have demonstrated
the fact that the machine is based
upon correct principles, and every
prospects, that if properly construct
ed, it will be a big success from the
start. Mr.. Warner, in course of an
interview yesterday, said:
"My machine was patented on the
1st of January. but | have been at
work on it nearly a year. A trial in
the field has shown that, with few al
terations, it will work successfully.
| have made some Of these needed
alterations and will make more in
the near future, and believe that very
little, If any, further improvement
can be made. The machine is very
simple in its construction. In this
it possesses
A GREAT ADVANTAGE.
With the exception OF only a few
castings, which can be kept in dupli-
cate or supplied at short notice, every
part Of 1t can be repaired by any
country or plantation blacksmith,
should breakaye occur, while the
castings are so few in number and
made so strong that there is little
danger of break in that direction
| if handled with ordinary care.
II propose to construct machines
of different sizes, SO as to gather diff
ferent sizes of cotton stalks; IN other
words heavy machine for heavy or
large cotton, and smaller machines
for low cotton. The weights, OF
course, depend upon the size OF the
machines; the heaviest will be 600
or 700 pounds.
with the aid of these machines,
two mules or two horses and swo
boys can gather
SIX OR EIGHT ACRES
of cotton per day at a cost of not
over so cents per acre. You see that
it will perform the work of many
pickers. The advantages are numer-
GUS in it's operations; | gather from
100 to 200 pounds more cotton per
acre than be gathered by human fin
gers can go into any field and
gather when it is too cold for hands
to gather. ] can gather any crop
with several machines two to three
months earlier than by manual labor.
AS the cost for picking is $l3 to $l5
per bale, gather for " per bale,
which is saving of about $l2 or $l3
per bale. / can also gather from LOO
to 200 pounds more cotton per acre,
which II it is worth eight cents per
pound will be from $40 to SIG. so
you Sc save in actual cash money,
net, $40 to $25 per bale. Now, then,
suppose ! get one cent per pound
less for cotton gathered by my ma
chine than by human hands, then
it still leaves a net profit, you may
say, from $l7 to $40 per bale, which
money goes directly into the pocket
Of the producer.
THE COST.
Il am unable, at preeent, to state
what will be the probable cost OF the
machines, but am in correspondence
with some of the largest mannfac
turers in the United States and pro
pose to contract with some Of them
/ think the cost will be about $25(
or $500. The preparation Of the cot
ton for market is easily accomplished
We already have cleaners, thrashers