The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-04-09
To Pick Cotton.

Mr. E. Van Wrinkle, president of the
Van Winkle Gin and Machinery Compa-
ny, has just returned from New York,
where he went for the purpose of e2amin-
ing new cotton picking machine.
He comes back thoroughly convinced
that the problem has been solved; that
the machine is practical affair, and will
pick from 5000 to 10000 pounds of cot.
ton day.
1t is owned by the New York Cotton
Harvester Company, of which Mr.. Isaac
Blum is president.
Mr.. Blum is of the firm of Leon and
Isaac Blum, of Galveston and New York,
q gentleman of large means, and mem.
Der of one of the largest commercial
houses in the United States.
"The machine" said Mr.. Van Winkle
yesterday, "was originally started in
Texas, but on Mr.. Blum's becoming con.
nected with it, it was carried to New
York, and the highest mechanical and
inventive talent that could be obtained
was secured to perfect the machine. 1t
has finally been made complete success.
"The three leading features for ma.
chine to pick cotton" continued Mr.. Van
Wrinkle, "are an arrangement to pick one
part of the plant without disturbing the
rest. The pickers are lig BIT and very fex.
ible steel brushes that will first pick over
the lower part of the plant, as that all
fruits at first. The underlying platform
is wonderful ingenious thing. Itopens
at the slightest pressure for the plant to
pass through, but still it collects all that
falls on it and passes 1t to the rear of the
machine. This. platform runs very close
to the ground, and strikes or comes in
contact with the stem or base stalk of
the plant only, and is as easily parted on
its surface as passing stick through the
surface of water. The third feature is q
gathering elevator, which gathers the
cotton that is passed to it and deposits it
into sack on the rear of the machine.
"These elements of the machine are
the elements of success. OF course, a
good deal of trash and hulls are collected
with the cotton, but only in the last pick
ing. The machine will gather from 5000
to 10000 pounds Of cotton q day. This
will enable the planter to take advantage
of the weather, and the cotton will be
easily saved. The question of trash and
hulls in the cotton is npt material one,
as we have perfected ginning machinery
that entirely takes this out and greatly
improves the market value of the lint.
The dirt and hulls and trash in this ma.
chinery are not deposited together; the
seed are kept separate by themselves,
thus adding 10 their value. In fact, cotton
is now being picked by hand more trashy
than the machine does it, especially
in the great prairie sections of Louisiana,
Mississippi and Texas. The planters can:
not control the picking any more and
must have it done when and how they can
get it. The immen0e value of the cotton
harvester may be Judged when it is a
well.known fact that to simply pick out
the last crop cost at least S75,O00,0OO, and
the ginning and packing expense is extra
of this large amount. The machine is
drawn by two horses, is light and durable,
aud will gather completely at least 80 per
cent. of all the cotton that is made on q
plant"
1t is very probable that the company
will have their machinery manufactured
in Atlanta, which will,bring very large
and important business here.-Atanta
Constitution.