The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-07-20
A GREAT INVENTOR.
Wilmington Man Perfects Pro-
cess That May Revolutionize
Cotton Planting in the South.

Mr.. William E. Worth, general
manager of the Universal Oil &
Fertilizer Company of this city,
after more than two years of
experimenting, has perfected a
machine that bids fair to rev.
olutionize the cotton planting
industry in the South. While
Mr.. Worth is modest in the claims
for his invention, it can be seen
at a glance that the process
originated by him will not only
result in great labor saving in
the earlier cultivation of the
crop but will add materially to
the yield and quality OF the
great staple which is the financial
backbone of this section of the
country.
The machine invented by Mr..
Worth is one for perfectly de-
Uniting the cotton seed, laying
bare the mature and immature
kernels, and then separating
these in such a manner as to en-
suretheplanting of only those that
are most perfectly developed and
capable of producing the most
perfect plant. A sample of the
seed thus turned out by Mr..
Worth's machine, patents for
which have been applied, form
a most interesting and convinc-
ing argument as to the merits of
the invention. The seed are
polished like a bean, carrying
not the slightest vestige of lint,
but at the same time preserving
intact the terminating portion
of the kernel. 1t is Mr.. Worth's
idea to bring these seed to the
attention of the cotton interests
of the country to the end that
the cultivation of the staple
may be made more simple,
the production greater and
the results more profitable
to the farmer, as he is convinc-
ed that no farmer can tell when
he chops out his cotton whether
he is leaving the vigorous plant
or the poorest one in the stand.
Experience, he says, shows that
abont thirty-fve yer cent of the
ordinary seed planted by the
grower are immature, yet a
large proportion of them will
come up, while by his method
only the best and most per
fectly ma5ured seed, will be
used. of whatever variety de-
sired, and in planting only the
best the farmer will naturally
get the best results. A number
of growers have experimental
with the seed this year and all
4he experiments have been high
ly successful. These seed may
be successfully planted with an
ordinary corn or bean dropper
and perfect stand obtained at
the one planting by dropping
two to three in a hill. The cost
ly and tedious work of chopping
out is eliminated. In other
words, if desired, the cotton may
be planted and cultivated in
checkered rows just AS corn is
sometimes cultivated in this man
ner.
Practically the same methods
obtain now in the cultivation of
the cotton crop as were used so
years ago. In many States by
the proper selection of seed, the
production of corn has been in
creased from Is to 20 per cent.
and Mr.. Worth believes that
there is no sane reason why the
same should not be true Of cot
ton and his process is predicated
upon that assumption. The yield
OF beans and cereals has like
wise been increased. But the
selection of the best cotton
seed has been impossible be-
cause the kernels as planted are
covered with lint as they come
from the ordinary gin and selec-
ton is impossible. The machine
which Mr., Worth will put on the
market another year will thor
oughly delint the cotton in the
first place; then the seed will be
manipulated through a series of
screens and fans in such man.
ner as tc remove all the imma-
ture kernels and leave for
the grower the planting of
those only which will mature
perfectly. 1t would seem that
with the adoption of his
plan of planting, there will be
no further excuse for poor stands
and that the plants that do come
up will have at termination that
healthy growth which will insure
the largest productive yield.
The chopping out and hoeing of
the cotton will be no longer re-
quired if the land is perfectly
prepared so that cultivation with
the pillow is possible. The ma
chine OF Mr.. Worth cleans the
cotton seed perfectly without the
use OF any chemicals whatever
and the hulls from such seed, if
they are used for crushing pur-
poses, will in time prove a valna-
BILE feedstuf for animals that
cannot now feed upon the ordina-
ry seed because of the lint.
! After passing through the MA
chine described, the plants come
up perfectly from within five to
SIX days whereas by the old pro-
cess of Wetting and rolling in
ashes or clay the termination Nc