The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-10-23
SHOULD BE TESTED.
Does Lint Cotton Gain in Weight
by Being Held? ,

Mr.. G. NJ. Davis, of Georgia, Says 1t
Undoubtedly Does, and Is Anxious
For a Thorough Test.
There seems to be a widely prevail
ent conviction that cotton lint gains
both in quality and weight by being
allowed to rippen on the seed for a
few months after it is picked, and the
belief seems to be based upon more
or less clearly defined experince. In
the last issue Of the Progressive Far
mer for August was published a
statement from Mr.. G.. M. Davis,
State Lecturer of the Farmers Union
for Georgia, to the effect that ut is
an unquestioned fact that cotton held
in the seed will gain about one-tenth
in weight for the first three months
after picking" /
A month later The Progressive
Farmer printed a communication
from a correspondent in Mecklenburg
County, N. c., signing himself j. A.
w., who also holds to the belief that
cotton will gain both In quality and
in weight from being allowed to rip
en-, the time required being from
three to five months. This, he said,
he had learned fifty years ago in the
days Of the old horsepower gins, and
he had known seed cotton to yield
81 IL per cent. of lint after ripen-
ing. ~.
The question raised lis one fairly
capable Of scientific demonstration
and if the results are such as its ad-
vocates claim, the truth Of the matter
is well worth the cost and trouble Of
demonstration. AS to the present
status of the matter, the subjoined
article from Mr.. Davis will be found
LOT interest. A few weeks ago The
Progressive Farmer referred to Mr..
Davis, the following letter.
Chicago, Sept. IA, 1907.
Editor Progressive Farmer, Raleigh,
N. C.
Dear Sir: In the August 29th is
sue of your paper, a statement Is
printed over name of g.. N. Davis to
the effect that cotton, as a rule, Is
ginned too soon after picking, and a
money loss is the result.
Will you be good enough to adj
wise us Of the address Of Mr.. Davis
that we may write him for his au-
thority on the subject stated.
1--WE certainly hope Mr. Davis is
correct in this position and should
like to know more of the matter.
Thanking you in advance for this
courtesy, we are,
- Every truly, :
"Dixie Cotton Picker Co.,
wv. B.. Stone, Sec"
In reply, The Progressive Farmer
has just received from MI. Davis the
following which we are glad to print
as a current contribution to this in
teresting and important topic:
There is no published book or
printed authority on the subject In
existence to-day, so far as I know.
If there is, I have never seen it or
heard CT it. -
"The Government Bureau of Agri-
cultural Information has no bulletin
lon the subject, but this does not ar
que that there should be none in the
future. I have. been trying for some
time to interest the Agricultural De
partment and some of their special
agents in this and othes matters Of
a like nature, but they all seem too
busy with other things to give me
a hearing or a chance to have the
matter thoroughly investigated along
scientific lines.
my authority is based on expert
ence and investigation along indie
pendent lines. That cotton grows and
continues to mature and gain in lint
weight for from two to three months
after being picked, as set forth In a
previous article on the subject and
for which I am asked to give a spe-
cifc authority, there. is no question.
The chief authority is the cold fact
known to all growers and handlers
Of cotton who observe cotton closely.
l.. 1.-The first cotton which opens is
green, and if carried to the gin soon
after bengs picked the lint it cut by
the gin saws and the staple so badly
damaged that the loss in price is con-
siderable. Perhaps the frsst cotton
ginned is actually worth a cent a
pound less to the manufacturer be-
cause of the damage to the staple
than the same cotton would be If
left to dry and ripen in the house. In
this respect cotton only follows the
natural laws followed by all other
agricultural products. Melons, fruit
and a hundred other things ripen af-
ter being gathered.
1.-THE greener and wetter the cotton
the more closely it sticks to the seed,
and the harder it is to seperate when
being ginned. Every MAI who has
had a days experience about a cotton
gin will bear me out in this state
ment. The closer the lint adheres to
the seed the less the lint from the
cotton when ginned. In other words,
more of the lint is left on the seed
and a proportionate lost is the result.
ut now seems to be an unques-
toned fact that the seed is the lint
producer of the interior cotton boil.
The seed is the mother upon which