The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-10-09
irAseN,s COTTON PICKER.
Tho Work OF tho Harvester In the Whit.
eninE Fields. f

The cotton crop of 1884 is now, fairly
open, and throughout the cotton belt.
| great interest Is manifested in the success
of the Mason Gotten Harvester. In
many quarters there are symptoms OF inn
patience because the machine has not
been placed on the market, or, ut. least,
| publicly tested, and some of our contem.
poraries are even nindulging in cheap wit
at the expense Of tho inventor. In order
to satisfy, as far as possible, public
interest and curiosity in regard to this
novel and extraordinary implement, the
Ncacs and Courier has taken paine to OBJ.
tain accurate information in regard to its
development up to the present time, as
we'll as concerning the plans and expec.
tations of the Cotton Harvester Com.
pany.
In the FIRST place it should he stated
that neither MIR. Mason nor any Of those
associated with him In perfectine his
invention hos entertained any idea OF
placing the Harvester on the market<for
general use during the present picking
season. As far back as last December it
was determined by the company to limit
this years operations to tho manufacture
of limited number of the machines Of
different sizes and varying patterns in
order that several notifications of the
principle might be thoroughly tested
before the manufacture of the machines
for sale was begun. In pursuance of this
plan, Mr.. Mason has constructed half a (;
dozen machines in three sizes, and since
the cotton frat began to open experi-
ments have been made every day withS
the machines in @ field of cotton planted !
by the company for the purpose in tho
town Of Sumter. The restilt; of these ex-
periments has shown the vision, nf the
CaEn nraay "a avoiding nasty action In The
i manufacture or the machines. Despite
the greatest care and hardest work dufiass
the winter and spring to make the
mschines perfect, Mr.. Mason found upon
frat testing them In the field this season
that there we're impeylectionsi 10 construc.
ton which must be overcome before the
machine could be treated as q practical
[ success. One by ono these defects have
been overcome; and such difficulties as
remain to be solved relate almost exola-is
siyely to the gear of the autonlat tic reno.
val OF the cotton into the bags attefEit
has been picked and deposited in the
receiving boxes 0f the machine Tho
| picking cylinders, which form the csscfl.y
tial portion of the Harvester, gathering
the open cotton from the plants without
injury to. the plants or. to the nnupeti
fruit, work beautifully and with wonder.
ful rapiSity. This part of the machine,
which has engaged Mr.. Mason's, whole
attention for many months, and tho sue
cess of which practically solves the cTeat
problem of cottoh.picking by Rachinery,
scarcely needs any further Improvement
The auxiliary contriyatYces for conveying
the picked cotton into the bags, being Of
less Importance, have received leGs atten-
ton and still need o good deal ofmodifi-s =
cation, which must be the result OF pa. !;
Etieht and protracted tests. Mr.. Mason,
however, feels no Gneasiness about these
defects, and 10 confident that the perfect.
ing of this part of the machine is only d
matter Of little time. The difficuiiics
experienced have been these: The nick
ing stems gather the cotton aud deposit
1t go rapidly upon the elevators that, in 4
heavily fruited cotton, sfhe capacity Of /
the elevators has been inadequate to- B
remove 1t as fast az it comes In. V The re.
suit is that the elevators become gorged, =
and the revolving picker stems force
some of the cotton already picked OFF tho.
elevators and throw Ii on the ground.
Az tho first glance this difficulty seems: j
! ts.diass, but, owing to the fact that only a
avery limited space fs available for e 5 ss
tisu o. sts elaTaf5ss ~ s5tsy :
matter, without a. general reco .istrnction
OF the frame Of the machine, to ramedy.i
the fault. With one pair Of cylinders !.
The machine picks about 90 :per cant. Of 1
| the open cotton in passing over, row q
once, and very nearly cleans the row by
| at work upon o machine carrying tWn
pairs Of cylinders, which ne caleal atesE
will gather segen.eight of tho cotton as &
ona picking. q 2l;sS ~ ss
| Arrangements have been made to- have
Q public exhibition of the H HasFester
before d comnitte appointed BY the oiii.., 4.
GERS of the New Orleans World 'si sSf9. "
sition and members of the N Nas;onals Cots
ton Planters Asseciati ion, q Gel. H. 20. Il
MDrehead. the president nfe tka hIa Is....ai
Cotton Planters, Associa lion and Com
misaloner.G General Of the World Exp6si-
ton In q letter to tho secretafy v of TIE 5s
Harvester Company o few days ago,
nsas q g. ssSSssss..sen abult inc testing az
the machif,e, which will probably be
adopted. Col. Morehead says
| Mr. Mason, think, deaignatsd taking
his machine out 10 Mississippi or Eouisies
ana and practically demonstrating iiE 4
worth or value before committed select
ed by the World's Exp osition board.
i Ihls Wonid cost mr.. Mason. q good deal J
iiohS htoGoy AuHus.n .nOL po any In0Eo GttsSIEsPS
cious than what now propose. Some
of the most prominent men In your Stale
are active mambefs of, the N NattohaI Cot.
ton Planters, Association Of America
tunder the auspices of which the Woril's5
IExposition ii 70 be held q If agreeable TO
Mr. Mason and the stock dess 0f the
naehins, I will appoint tby stelegran il
necessary !. q competent committee from
Inemb OF tho association In South Cas.
oiina and add to it such her members as:
| will 60 from Georgia and North Carolina.
/ The test shall be made under tho
auspices of the National Cotton u Plantefs,s
/ Assoc lion OF Afnsfi ica, the head of
i which Org anization lin South Carolina is;
Hon. 4. Blu. Her chief OF your sagrieul- IS
i tnral department, md sss sfo Is yica.pf
4 dent Of the associate on I for the Slate OF
i South Carroll pas Il would 1 nlaos requsat
II the Governor of your Sta aud the presi-
i dent of your State lgricnl nltural society so
i be present all of whom will no doubt
,tjoins souTf vice. spresid lent in testi fyings TO-
i the merits of the n,achiHe. IS
Ths Cotton Harvester GaTnp havs
.Ereplied to Coli Morelead that the conf.
jspany will be- pleased & tos mike tbs test
5npoa the terms and under he auspices
lEhe snggestss ssss Ifdesifa bles the committee
eppoinisd Difeclos. Gssnesal Bnfks