The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-01-02

By practical part the writer MEATS 10 SAY
the construction of machine "lth The
necessary working machiner: 10 operate the
ticker stems, aad at the same time not DC 100
heavy to pull, nor too cumbersome 10 turn
around At the ends OF the rows: and OF such
light weight as not to make the Wheels cut
down in the plowed ground, and, also lessen
the popeling and working power that must, OF
course, be furnished By the horses.
The simplicity of the machinery and its
operation are also important factors, all of
which cannot be found in the above mention
ed Pittsburg Cotton Picker; but without
which it is of no practical use.
Take for instance, the dimensions of this
picker, according to the Constitution: Ap-
proximately 9 feet in length, and feet in
width and six feet in height--height Of DO
consideration, but adds to weight of course.
Say the space from the front of the cotton
picker to the breast pole in front of horses is
feet more, that with the length Of the pick
er feet make Is feet, and 5 feet for turning
around at each end Of the rows. Just think
how much space will be required to turn the
horses and machine around, and as in out
of every 10 cases, there is either fence or
ditch at the end of each row, 80 you can lln-
imagine how much cotton would have TO be
Knocked down and made useless. At this
rate at least one third of every acre of cotton
would be sacrificed.
The weight, 1900 pounds, would cause
the wheels even with wide tires to cut down
into the soft, cultivated ground and render it
Impractical in point Of propel!ing power.
Then the driving power is not the only pow
er to be considered, as the power required to
turn the working mechanism that operate the
picking needles (about thirty-Gye in number
is considerable, owing to the rapidity Of the
motion aud the amount of power required in
a given time. Ordinarily this working me-
chanism does cot require much force, but
when it comes 10 operating number OF
need les continually within given time. il
creates additional work for motive power
from tie horses.
Now the Mason Cotton Harvester weighs
orlv within fraction of 500 pounds, has
oa y two wheels, is only four feet long by 3
feet wide. Yet in the State OF Texas the Ma
son Co.ton Picker successfully picked the
cotton, but is was rot considered Of practical
use, because It's dimensions were too cumber
some, its weight, 400, nearly caused the
wheels to cut aud sink down into the ground
II and feet By feet in height, and not
quite 400 pounds in weight, is considered i'm
practical on the part of the ..ason Picker, it
looks like poor chance for by 4, and feet
in height, and 900 pounds IN weight of the
Pittsburg Picker to be of prictical use.
Simplicity of machinery and operation are
two features that have to be perfected in the
cotton picker, before it will be of practical
use to farmer. The present delicate and
complicated machinery of the Mason and
other cotton pickers require an experienced
machinist to operate and keep them 10 repair
The Southern farmer in particular is careless
about his machinery for farm nse, while the
Western farmer is careful and more ex-
perienced, because be has to depend more up
on improved farm machinery, while the
Southern farmer depends more upon the ne
gro for labor; so, as Mr.. Mason says, simpli-
city, light weight, smaller dimensions, two
wheels icstead of four aud, in fact, general
ease to operate and less cumbersome, are the
qualities lacking 10 his machine and it is q
fac, we'll known that the Mason Cotton Pick
er is nearer perfection than any other. So it
is easy TO see how impractical the Pittsburg
Picker would be.
The picking needles On the machine in At
auta, are patterned after the original Mason
6brous and non forous discriminating need
les. So the picking apparatus OF the Pitts
burg Cotton Picker vii! meet the same fate as
the Mason Cotton Harvester, unless they de-
wise more convenient, lighter and less cum
bersome frame work 10 operate the picking
needles. At present the Pittsburg Cotton
Picker is Is years behind the Mason Harves-