The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-05-11
IMPROVEMENT In BALING.
HOW MILLIONS COULD BE SAVED
TO.COTTON PLANTERS.
Some Interesting Experiments in Texas
The Advantage of Smaller and
Uniform Bales


J. II. Sloan, a cotton man Of Angus
ia. Ga, has sent out circular letter
on the subject of cotton ballng that is
OF general interest. The following is
an extract from the letter:
The condition in which the Ameri-
can cotton bale is received in this
country and yabroad is such that an
earnest demand has been made by the
consumers for some Improvement in
the method of baling and handling our
cotton.
Owing to the irregularity in the size
and lalso in the compression Of the
American cotton bales the railway and
steamship companies have been forced
to charge much higher rate than If
the bale was more uniform and reg
ular package.
The loss in weight, owing to the
wretched condition Of the bale and
want of proper covering Of bale, has
become within recent years excessive,
and buyers are now beng forced to
make allowance in their prices In order
to protect themselves against this loss.
Also owing to the want of proper
handling the insurance companies are
yearly charging higher rates of insur-
ance, which expense is not borne by
the consumer but by the planter.
In view of these facts we desire to
acquaint you with the results of some
interesting experiments made at Wa
co. Mr. Bannister, large ginner of
Waco, conceived the idea that a small
err package could be more satisfactorily
handled and covered, as we'll as more
compacty pressed, than the present
size package, and in order to demon.
strate this idea reduced a gin box at
Waco to 52x24. D..
This alteration was effected by
knocking off the planks upon the in
side of the gin box and mailing strip
2x4 on the frame of the gin box on the
inside. The inside planking was then
nailed back again. On the gin box
doors an additional two inch plank
was nailed, covering them with it on
inside. There was but 200 feet of lum-
Der consumed.
Altering the fellow block and chan
mel bars was a triile more troublesome,
but required no new material. The
total cost did not exceed So.
100 bales of cotton averaging $50
pounds were put into this box and
compressed at the National Compress
Cos. press with the esult that a dens-
ity of 391a pounds to the cubic foot
was obtained against the usual density
of 2212 pounds.
The result of this experiment proved
beyond question that this size gin box
(54x24) would be of immense advant-
age to the south for the following
reasons
1st The bagging generally used Is
36 inches wide. If the breadth of the
bale is reduced, the bagging will fall
more over the sides entirely covering
them. We believe if the sides of bales
were covered country damage would
necessarily be much less, and there
fore insurance rates would be CORE
spondingly lower.
2nd. This cotton which was COM
pressed at Waco was shipped to Gal
weston and then re shipped to Liver
pool, but on account Of the extra COM
preston the shipment was taken at u
cents per 100 pounds, which was equiv
alent to saving of SO cents bale. On
ten million crop this would $780, 800
in the pockets of the southern plant
ers.
Bird. BY more completely envelop
ing the bale with the bagging consid-
cradle loss in weight will be saved on
account of it being impossible for so
much loose cotton to be picked or worn
from the side of the bale.
4th. When the bales are ofian irreg-
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