The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-09
A MACHINE THAT
PICKS COTTON
a Patent of the Inventor
Of the Round Bale.
Claimed II is PracticabIe---Mr. Lowry
Has Given Demonstrations at Albany
Ga.--.PrOminent Citizens Tes.
tify as to Favorable Re-
suIts.
(Colnmhia State.l

Mr.. +. n. Wilson of this city, while
on a recent visit to his home at Al
bany. Ca, saw in operation there one
OF Lowry's cotton pickers. This is a
machine pulled by two mules and
operated by five people. 1t picked
the cotton from one row and from
one side of each of the thanking rows.
Mr.. Wilson thinks the machine is
practicable. Will be a saving in ex-
pcnsc and will make the farmer in
dependent OF negro labor which be-
comes almost intractable at the time
when cotton is opening abundantly
Where three or four farmers can go
ina together, they may purchase one
OF these machines, and ut nominal
cost farmer working five plows
can afford one for his own place.
Mr.. G. \. Lowry. the inventor, gives
the following brief description of the
cotton picker: This machine is built
high and rows three to four feet
apart The arms have universal
movement, and the operator can pick
anything within four feet of him,
whether it be on the ground or in the
boll.\ In picking from the ground the
machine shakes out the dirt and any
huls that may be adhering to the
but is well known in the South as the
inventor of the round bale press
which has met with a great deal
Of favor.
The time will never come for purely
automatic cotton pickers, for cotton
cannot be picked without the use OF
eyes. But the machine is designed u
increase the speed of the negro cotton
picker as there crn be no lcafing
With its use the cotton picker will get
twice as Tauch cotton as he does with
;ie fingers With he Lowry machine
the cotton picker has no STOPPING tC
do nor bag to carry, but he sits on 2
comfortable seat between the rows
and with each hand touches The open
LOllS with the poirt of a picking arm,
which IS us nicely balanced and rs
easily manipulated as a billiard cue.
Through the arms run Il rapidly NOV
ing belt with hooked teeth exposed al
ihe point - engage With the Gotten
and open at the top SO Il revolving
brush may flick il off into a rescep-
taclc. The machine carries four oper-
ators and 4 driver, and gets its power
from "A four-hcrse power gasolene en-
sine.
The inventor has noe yet made ar
engagements To- put the machine ON the
market. but is making final tests to
prove it's servicea bility. With this
machine perfected and sold cheaply
cotton planters would be rid CT the
embarrassment which they experience
every cotton picking season.
The Albany. Ca; Herald, which has
cen watching the development Of this
machine. has The following signed
statements from prominent peonle:
Judge Samuel w. Smith, ordinary
of Dougherty county and man iargc-
~ interested in farming lands and
4
the Lowry picker in operation in the
cotton fields of this county urter ex-
actly the conditions which will be
found i'm practically every part of the
cotton belt. 1t picks the cotton rows
clean and does it's work in a manner
above criticism. / am satisfied that
il is what we have been waiting for
for years.
r.. NJ. Ticknor, Of the Albany Ma
Chinery company: 1.-The picker is q
practical machine. it is built on q new
theory, and the success of the ma
chine proves the soundness of the
theory. After having seen it work, |
ann satisfied that it will do what is
expected Of it,
II. +. Hal. clerk of the Superior
court: II have figured il out that the
picker will cover five acres of ground
per day, ana will pick all the open
cotton there may be on that area.
whether it be 1000 pounds or 5000.
1t is certainly wonderful machine,
and ! believe it viii do the work for
which it is Intended
w. T.. MitchelI II believe tn
Lowry picker is d success. L have seer.
il operate only in Ilclds where all the
caves had fallen from the cotton
plants, but as the picker arm will only
take up Int. / see no reason Why
leaves should interfere with its oper-
alton. I am satisfied that the ma
"hmc viii fill the long felt want OF
the cotton planters"
>. B. Brown. of the Georgia Cotton