The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-05-07
THR MASON COTTON 8 HARVESTER, 1 / ~ ,s,i, & 4
a Clear Account OF sho success of tie
ig aa ~ h4aehine. I'D i., SyiE

a Clear Account OF sho success 0f the
iR H.a ~ h4aehiRe. NJ; ~ syiE
From .Bradstreees. 3''s's5
The Mason cotton. n.hatvestiDg. machine,
OF which SO much has been said Of late,
and to the general introduction OF which
the cotton interests Of the country are so
apxiously looking, has reached O stage
in It's development as q new and gaet..A
invention which gives positive assurances
of Its practical success In common uss..
| Without indulging in speculation as to
the great revolution in cotton culture
which such O machine will bring about,
| and without entering upon description
OF It's merits as ON Invention or sounding
| its praises as O wonderfully ingenious
piece of mechanical construction, it may
be said without the sligbtest degree OF
extravaganza that the probieai 6f har.
vesting cotton by machinery has been
solved. The machine was thoroughly
| tested on the iaat cotton crop from the
moment when the first bollR made their
appearance to the time when the plants,
having been frost bitten, were dry and
brittle as glass. In all the stages '0f the
crop from first to lest the machine de.
naonstsated its perfect ability to, gather
the open cotton from The field Without
the slightest Injury to the plants or i'm
matured fruit The machine has been
too oftan described to require detailed
explanation of it5 construction here. IG
differs essentially from all machines de-.
yised for the purpose Of gathering cotton
from the field il, Che important particular
that the metallic stems or hngers which
gather the cotton arc 90 constructed .thas
they will catch hold of only, o fbrous
substance. The machine is hauled UP
and down the cotton rows by one horse
or mule, straddling the cotton plants as
it moves along. The movement Of tho
stems or fingers issso adjusted that at
whatever speed the machine travels fox.
ward the stems travel backward at exact
ly the Same rate Of speed or, in other
words, the stems travel backward OF tho
same rate of speed as the cotton plants
over which the machine Is passing.
Thus it will be readily seen that while q
large number Of stems enter each cotton
plant, they do not jostle or tear the plant
in the slightest degree. K, At the very
point In O plant where stem, enters; Il
will pass out, and while in the plant, by
Its revolution on its own axis, will gather
oil the open cotton with which it comes
In contact. After leaving the plantthe
steris pass into receptsoles, on each aide,
where by reverse revolution they throw
enter the next plant for s. fresh supply.
An average size machine has from $50 to
IT'S stems in It. Only O comparatively
smf ;. number of these enter each buah,,
prof. ably not more than fifty, Up to the
close OF the experiments on the last crop,
which were continued as late us January
of this year, the percentage of cotton
gathered in one passage of the machine
over row was o little over 80 per cent.
BY driving the machine up the row and
back again s3ven.eighths Of the open
cotton wss gathered. 4!jss @ Ss ss gy
Tho condition of the cotton gathered
was remarkably good up to the time
when frost fell upon the plants. After
that time the cotton harvested contained
some trash and leaves. This was due to-
the fact that after frost the leaves being
dead and brittle would fall BY the acton
Of the weather on the open cotton In the
bells and would adhere to 1t after it war
picked. The average capacity of the
mac Inc in cotton we'll open was 1856
pounds OF seed cotton an hour, Or $3.50
pounds day. ~ ~ =
AS soon as it became too late for fur
ther ezpeT':" ents on the past crop. the
Cotton Hafvus,er Company, of Charles
ton, s. O., which owns the patents on the
machine, not only in this country, but in
all the cotton.growing countries of the;
world, determined to spare no pains nor
means Ia perfscting the machine for the
| next crop. 4 new iron shop has JUST \
been erected al Sumter, 8. O., where Mr.,
Mason, the inventor, rlsides, and special
TOOLS Of the finest type SSge been pnr-
chaeed. Several changes Id the consfrhc.5
tion OF the machines will be madS safoIe
it's trial upon the next crop. Thssa.
changes will relate principally to the
shape of the frame work, the movement.
and construction of the elevators (which
c0nveyltfIe e0tton from the side Tecspta+s
cles and drop 1t into pendant bags at the !
bacS, and TO the movement of the pick,
ing stems. Messts. Pratt Gs Whitney, OF
Hartford, Conn.,, have Just completed an
in the stems with mnyYeiigpB Ispiditys
and perfecti6h, and Mr. Mason feels as.
Bnred that it' Ii within bounds 70 say TINT
the contemplated changes viii double the :
capacity Of the machine aud will ,inguro
the gathering OF; the cotton free from any
trash even In the last Btages of the CROP. +
Machines Of different sizes will be ready
ia, be. tried upon the first cotton Of the
next crop. It Is safe to say that &c VIII
be impossible to place many machines
bat4he market nexb aaeas6n. Is The coEast
papy; will endeayolatp denronstFate the
perfect and practical utility Of the rna.;
chine next season BY testing d few innf-
chimes IN all the cotton Statss,, ana WILL
then lose no time In mai ling anipls iar-li
rangemelts for their wholesale manufac.;,
ture for the crop of 1885. d,
IT Is lohbtless very unfortunase that
90 mach time shotild tbe required aiii ti,as
perfection Of She machine, but eonside91i
Ing ita vast impprtance and the appaTent.s.
~ ,insuperable obstacles which have had
20 be overcome, its development hhs fieen
much, more rapid than any tUf the tothesss'
great Inventions Of thes century.
Can Such Things BE 6 3sl
An s.ex,soldiesn writes TO the; Boston,
Herald that he gasT only o month ago d,
portion of the battle. field of Ssven Pines
or Fair Osks near Rich tsl On which,