St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-04-03
The Cotton Harvester.

!
numerous illustrations, which con-
cludes as f slows:
The machine is absolutely harmless
to the plant. No matter in what state
or condition the plant is in, or at what
season the harvester is run over row.
no damage will follow. The writer
saw Mr.. Mason break the stems Of over
u dozen burrs on q thIckly clustered
stalk, until they were hanging by the
finest filament, and after the picker
stems had passed through not one was
torn off. 1t seems almost miraculous
that this could be, as they were attached
by such a slight fiber. A darky, bun2-
ling into that bush with bis fingers,
couldn't have helped tearing OFT half
of them. Had the bulrs contained lint
the ligament would have given way,
of course, and the burr. would have
been jerkeo from its broken stem.
of itself to break a boil or bloom in
the field. Wet or dry it does its work.
have seen cotton picked by it in such
a wet and soaked condition that, when
allowed to dry naturally in the sacks,
it became as hard and caked as plaster
of paris.
1t has yet its defects, of course, and
it is far from the object OF this article
to conceal them. The first is, that as
at present constructed it cannot work
in cotton over five feet high. That can
easily be overcome by making different
sizes OF the machine adapted to ordina-
ry and to rank growths. Nine tenths
of the cotton, however, now grown IN
the South can be harvested with the
present size.
Again, the machine sometimes drops
IA little cotton from the picker stems
before they enter the box.
Also the cotton, as it passes up OH the
elevators to enter the sack, is sometimes
blown off op windy days. This can
readily be prevented by covers, which
have never been put on except for the
purpose of experiment, because Mr..
Mason did not want any part of the
interior workings Of the machine hid
den from view while he was studying
and improving it.
In the fourth place, a boil is occa-
siOnally passed over and left ungattler-
ed. This occurs seldom, and practical
ly is of little consequence, two trips
generally cleaning a row thoroughly.
When boil is accidentally left it will
be gathered at the next picking, for the
planter can run over his crop 80 rapidly
and 50 often that boil left here and
there is OF slight Importance. This
frequent harvesting must also neces-
sarily result in better grade of cotton,
as the fields can always be kept clean
in advance of rain.
Finally, the harvester sometimes
fails to gather the lowest bolls when
fiat on the ground in the dirt. That ia
difficult to remedy without introducing
complications which would seriously
with the working of the other
paris of the machine.
But Mr.. Mason is hard at work
RENE dying. as rapidly us possible, these
defects as they present themselves, and
is confident OF bringing the harvester's
present capacity of two thousand
pounds OF seed cotton per day. up to
double that amount, or three bales per
lay, and OF reducing the cost of picking
to less than one dollar bale.
And all this by one man and one
mule!
1t is impossible for the syndicate to
place the harvester ON the market in |
time for the next crop, as Mr.. Mason !
will himself be compelled to wait until |
all to test the changes he has now in |
progress. They are in no hurry, and
10 not hes. tate to say that the machine
will never he sold until its present de-
iects are effectually overcome, be that
ime when 1t may. !
But as these defects are trifling, and
is even with them the harvester does
service, it is fair to conclude
hat Mr.. Mason, having already accom-
,lished the most difficult portion of his
work, will not be long in presenting
he public with machine perfect i'm all
ts parts. When that time does come,
he present declaration OF the syndi-
ate will be the best guarantee Of the
machines actual efficiency.
Its cost has not yet been fully de-
as it is not known in exactly
What shape 1t viii be finally put upon
he market. Mr.. Mason states, how
yer, that the price will at first probah-
' be about equal to that asked for
uhstantial reaper or tWlne binder--Der-
APPS less-say from two hundred to
wo hundred and fifty dollars. That
vill put them within easy reach of any
ne making twenty bales or upward.
The province Of this article does not
xtend to the effect of the introduction
t the cotton harvester upon the indus
ries of the South. Its description and
istory were all that was compassed in
he scope of tiess5 pages. /,
But if, by its assistance, into the
loom and darkness enshrouding the
outhern farmer of to-day, and in
hich he patiently gropes and tolls
,om month to month and from year to
ear, one slender ray Of hope, one
,eble glimmer of the broad daylight
eyond shall penetrate, present cheer
nd solace, and the promise OF nnhoun-
ca possibilities for the future, and his ,
,ad for time be lightened, and the
Tres that infest the day" be even tenn