The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-05-08
SMALL COTTON BALES.
20 the Editor of The STATESMAN,

DIT see IHdI you IaVOr small
bales OF cotton in place of 500 pound
bales. Now, / think you have not
given the subject proper investigation
or you wouldn't write such nonsense.
Why should the size and weight of
bales be changed?
They have always been the size
they are now, and cotton planters,
ginners and factors have managed to
get along very well with them and
don't want any change. But there is
always some crank putting foolish no
tions into print and cyphering around
for some new trick to write about. If
small bales have to be made instead
of large ones it will put the gin man
to lot of expense and they will cost
more to the farmer.
Then they will cost more to handle
1t stands with reason that it will cost
more to move four small bales than
one large one. You had better ease
up on the small bale; it isn't wanted
GINNER.
Glad to have a "ginner's" opinion
on the small bale, although l can't
agree with him. The only objection
that has been, or can be raised to the
small bale, comes from the gin man,
but have conversed with several OF
them and they all admit that the
small bale would be of great advan-
tage to the cotton raiser, though it
would be little expense in the pur-
chase of new presses, or alteration OF
old ones. AS to cost Of small bales,
they think they could be bound with
wire and sacked in thin domestic at
the same price as is now paid for bag
| ging and ties.
i 1t has been found that the work
can be done for twenty cents per 1875
pound bale, or eighty cents for 500
pounds, clear saving of forty-tive
cents bale over present system.
But suppose the cost of covering
was the same, the advantages in
handling and storage will more than
Justify the charge. do not think
at stands with reason" that the 500
lpound bale can be handled more
cheaply than four small ones.
/ think reason and very common
sense argue the contrary. Where
two men and a derrick are now
needed to lift bale from
the ground onto wagon,
one stout boy could load four small
bales unaided in less time. Then the
saving in condition overweighs all
oJher advantages. Under the most
favorable conditions the large bale
must be rolled in the dirt and when
not sold as ginned it has to be stored
in the open air exposed to all weathers,
which means loss to owners. The
bursting CT the bagging trust by the
use of a cotton covering, should count
for something.
| While l think the change desirable,
and know it can only be made gradu
ally and the gin man who seeks to Dol,
ster up the Anticipated methods of his
grandfather and stay the march of
progress, will find himself left. The
small bale may be of no benefit to
the ginner, but it is not specially for
his profit that farmers raise cotton,
and if the farmer concludes that he
wants small bale, he is going to
have it.
Let us hear from some farmers on
the subject.
COTTON STALKS A SUBSTITUTE FOR JUTE.
Many substitutes for jute bagging
have been tried, but with doubtful
success. The difficulty has been to
find any material strong enough to
cover so much weight and bulk and
stand the wear and tear of handling
hooks at less price than jute.
Mr.. w. E. Jackson of Augusta, Ga,
a we'll known lawer, claims to have
solved the problem. 1t is said Mr..
Jackson has perfected a machine for
the manipulation of cotton stalks into
a material almost identical with jute
butts. His machine consists Of heavy
corrugated rollers which separate the
fibers of the cotton stalk and prepares
it for the cording machine. Samples
OF bagging made OF this material have
been tried, and experts declare it
equal in every respect to jute. 1t is
estimated that 100000 annually
will now so into the cotton raiser's
pocket for what has hitherto looked
upon as trash. This may be "false
alarm" but if so, it will lead to in
vestigation and possible discoveries
now undreamt of.
ROASTING COTTON SEED.
/
The value of cotton seed for feeding
purposes is now understood. Fed in
due proportion with rough or bulky
food it forms valuable flesh and
butter producer. Hitherto it has
been exclusively used for cows and
fattening cattle. Cotton seed meal
by itself is too rich in oil for horse
feeding, and the downy covering of
the seed before milling has been found
fatal to both horses and hogs, though
not hurtful to cows, sheep, goats or
other ruminants.
Experiments have been tried with
roasted cotton seed and the result is
said to be very favorable. The seed is
placed in wire cylinder and operated
over fire like coffee rooster. This
scorches off the lint and partially
| Al - ..