The gold leaf., 1909-11-04
pecial to the Charlotte Observer.

Special to the Charlotte Observer.
Bennettsville, s. C., Oct. 19.-The
practical success of the Price-Camp-
bell cotton. picking machine was
demonstrated on the plantation Of
Senator John L. McLaurin, near
here, today in the presence OF d large
number of planters and other citi-
zens. The machine picked cotton at
the rate OF thousand pounds an
hour without injury to the plant or
unopen bolls. About 80 per cent. OF
the open cotton was obtained at the
first picking, and by running the ma
chine over the same rows again, it
got about 90 per cent. of the bal
ance, making 80 per cent. There was
considerable amount OF trash in
the cotton picked, but many practi-
cal farmers said they had seen more
trash in hand-picked cotton.
A hundred acre field of cotton was
bought last summer from Senator
McLaurin by Theodore H. Price, of
New York, for the demonstration of
the machine. 1t was expected to be
here earlier in the season, but could
not be gotten ready till now. No
cotton had been picked in the field,
and the bolls which opened early in
the season had been damaged by
dust and smoke in the field. and the
foliage had become dry and rotten,
SO that the cotton naturally made
a poorer appearance than if it had
been picked soon after the opening.
Some of the cotton was ginned and
submitted TO buyers here, who classed
it as low middling to strict low mid
ding, and priced it about half-cent
below middling. They said they had
bought a great deal of cotton this
that picked by the machine.
Upon an invitation of Mr.. Price,
number of Northern capitalists
came down Saturday and witnessed
a private test of the machine. They
saw a bale of cotton picked in an
hour and then ginned. They were
fully convinced that the machine is a
success.
The machine is driven by an unto
mobile engine, and the driver sits in
front and steers the machine astride
a row of cotton. 1t moves over a
row us last as n man can walk, pick
ing about an acre an hour. TwOpr
iecting "nOses" run ahead Of the ma
ching, on each side of the row, and
lift up the limbs that are near the
ground. The limbs are all gathered
up and pressed into a space about a
foot wide While the stalk is thus
held, small steel spindles reach
through it from both sides, reaching
every inch of space. On one side oi
each spindle is row of small teeth
so short that they will not catch
hold of anything except the cotton
fiber. These spindles are revolving
rapidly and when a lock Of cotton is
touched it is caught and wrapped
around the spindle, thus twisting it
out of the burr. The spindles then
move out of the plant, stop rev diving
and the cotton is taken off by ribs
similar to the breast OF a gin. 1t
falls on cOnveyOrs, which empty it
in bags at the rear of the machine
A boy sits on the rear of the machine
and packs the cotton in the bags
The boy would not be needed if the
bags were large enough to hold a
round without packing.
Very few pieces of locks are left ir
the burrs. The cotton left is usually
in whole bolls or locks. The spindles
either miss them or else are already
loaded when they come in contact
with them. When spindle engage;
a lock, it usually twists it all out
Running the machine over a row the
second time demonstrated the fact
that practically all the cotton coulC
be gotten the first time by doubling
the capacity of the machine, which
can be done by lengthening the bat
terry of spindles.
| Agnus Campbell of Pittsburg, thu
inventor of the machine, is also here
He has been working at it eight OF
ten years. 1t has also been improved
by other inventors, working under
the direction Of Mr.. Price, who has
thrown his whole soul and energ,
and vast financial resources into tn,
development Of the machine