The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-01-11
1t Will Work Revolution i'm Cotton
Packing and Pressing=-Saving
in Packing and Shipping.
Aims and Objects of the Planters Compress Co.,
and the Georgia and Carolina Planters Co.
Interesting facts.

figure further for himself. Take, for
instance. 500 pounds OF cotton In the
present square form for shipment to
Liverpool: Liverpool probably makes
the price Of cotton for the world. The
price received on 500 pounds Of cotton
will be the price obtained in Liverpool.
less the expense Of getting the cotton
there. and less the expense the greater
the net return. Take the principal
item Of the expense: the freight rate on
the square bale Of cotton from Augusta,
Ca. to Liverpool Is say 16 cents per
100 pounds: on 500 pounds the freight
would therefore be $3.50.
But there is go much difference be-
tween the sizes Of the square bales. end
so much sloose cotton between the ties,
that in order to avoid shifting of cargo
and give space, the square bales must
be screwed tight together in the hold
of the vessel, and this Is recognized
process known as "screwing." for
which the charge at South Atlantic
ports Is IS cents per bale. This Is one
Of the items Of expense included in the
rate of 66 cents per 10 pounds. or $3.2s
per 500 pounds from Augusta to Liver
pool.
Now take for comrs, ,1son two ESQ
pound Lowry bales Of 81 pounds densi-
ty, against % 1-2 density for the
square bale package. Freisht rates by
water are made according to space oc-
cupied In the vessel. IL therefore. twice
as many pounds cotton in Lowry bales
can be stored in every cubic foot OF the
vessels hold than In the square bale,
the freight rate Is reduced accordingly
and in addition to this rate the density
and uniformity Of the Lowry bales ds
such that they stow in the vessel just
like flour or molasses barrels would,
IL they had straight sides. The screw
ing Is therefore entirely unnecessary,
and 30 cents of that charge are saved.
the loading Of the Lowry bales costing
only cents per 100 pounds.
Having, then. saved over half the
space, and cost Of screwing and of
COMPRISING the expense in the case
of the two round bales (we:ghlng 500
pounds) is $3.50, while the expense Of
the same 500 pounds in square form
was $780, On these items alone. there
fore. there is saved $3.50 per 900 pounds,
and as q penny saved Is penny earn
ed" cotton in two round bales form ls
worth IN these two items alone $3.50
more than It was worth In. square bale
form.
A careful estimate Of the cost OF car
ryinE cotton from the farm to the Eu-
ropean spinner, based on contracts al
ready made. shows a difference a2f $3.50
per 500 pounds in favor Of the Lowry
bale over the ordinary bale. On % crop
Of ten million bales 1t means that the
farmern of the South would receive for
the cotton crop IS millions more than
they now do.
1t Is suggested that the stea mship
companies will raise the rate, the an
swer Is that the tramp steamer can be
chartered tor load.
The advantages Of the kind last In
dicated are 50 great that the Planters
Company has Just completed arrange
ments under which n certain cities
where cotton Is assembled for ship
ment the new Lowry machine will be
extensively used for the sole purpose
of rebaiins square bale cotton into
round bale form for shipment to Nver-
pool and the continent.
WORKING OF THE PRESS.
The planter and ginner will naturally
be curious to know how this new pro-
cess Of baling and COMPRISING is ac-
complished and where?
The machine with frame and all COM
plete. weighs about 5000 pounds. 1t oc-
to -. ~
exceeding 10 feet by feet. It can be
operated anywhere by any local ginner,
with not exceeding 10 horse power.
(The machine has been operated with
as little as horse power).
1t does not even necessitate the
changing Of the present ginneries or the
removal Of the present gin boxes. any
ginner. even the smallest, can simply
set up one Of these machines az an ad-
dition to his plant. requiring no addi-
tion to his horse power, and probably
opera to the machine with less power
than he Is now using. In other words,
every ginner becomes compressor and
does the entire COMPRISING work at
his gin. instead Of, as now. making
merely the plantation bale. He can
keep his present boxes and offer the
cotton grower his choice as to how he
will hsve the cotton baled and COM
pressed, but II the cotton grower finds
that he can get a complete compress
ed bale with twice the density of the
present square bale, and take 1t away
with him from the gin. it does not
seem pro5ao that he will very long
desire to pursue the old method Of
leaving his cotton at the gin to be for
warded from place to place, as the prey
OF everybody who can rob 1t, taking
such price as he can get at the time OF
his delivery.
The advantage, Of course, to each
local ginner, in addition, Is that If one
ginner has one Of the new machines
and his rivals In the neighborhood do
not, he will vastly increa Sc his busi-.
ness at the expense Of the others, be-
cause the grower will have his cotton
put in the form in which it will be most
valuable, and he will naturally take 1t
to the man who has facilities for MAX
ing that form Of bale.
The machine is continuous in its op-
GRAFTON. and by means Of a very SIM
pie device, the pressure and resistance
can be carried, as desired. and when
given resistance is established 1t will
remain fixed and constant until the
gauge cock Is changed. The head Of