The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-01-24
PICKS fIIE EcOlsfON

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2 pRIcE-oAMPBELL PICKER WILL
DO THIE WORK.
At Least That Is What Mr.. a. B.
b Jennings, Who Saw It at Work
Says.
sMr. H. B.. Jennings, Of Lumberton,
". c., was. appointed by the Amer
lean Cotton Manufacturers Associa-
ton at it's last meeting to examine
and report upon the merits OF the
Price-Campbell cotton picker. On
a special request from The Charlotte
Observer, Mr.. Jennings has reduced
his impressions to writing for the in
formation Of the readers. Mr.. Jen-
nings has very kindly complied as
follows:
"Uron receiving from the Ameri-
can Cotton Manufacturers Associa-
ton an appointment as the Assocla-
sion's representative to- visit Texas
and Oklahoma with the party Of lad
les and gentlemen from New York
and New England, who were to visit
that section of the country for the
purpose of witnessing field demons
trations OF the Price-Campbell Cot
ION Picker I went to st. Louis, ar
riving there the afternoon Of ,Octo-
her 18th. We left ST. Louis that af-
ternoon, about. o'clock, on a speciai
train, our first stop being at Mes
quite, Texas, the night Of the 18th.
The car was here side-tracked, where
we spent quiet and restful night.
The following day, the 18th, after
having breakfast; the party was driv.
en- out to the plantation of Mr..
Schuyler Martin, where we were to
have the first chance to see this
wonderful machine. A large crowd
had gathered, the day was perfect,
and no time was lost in starting the
demonstration. The machine has
more the appearance Of an automo-
bile than anything else; a man sits
above the fore part of the machine,
on a comfortable spring seat, and
drives the machine straight down and
over the row Of cotton. The machine
is driven by a 80 horsepower gaso-
line engine, which seems to afford
ample power; it was under perfect
control at all times. It moved about
as fast as man walks. The cotton
stalks are slightly compressed by the
,V-shaped guide on the fore part OF
the machine in order to bring
the whole plant in reach Of the fin
gers which do the picking. These
fingers are about six hundred In NUM-
Der, and are the most ingenious part
of the. mechanism. They have the
faculty of reaching every part Of the
plant, engaging every particle OF the
open cotton, then moving out from
the plant with a backward motion,
which prevents injury to the plant
ITSELF
''I followed this machine up ana
down many rows of cotton; not one
plant did I find injured by the oper-
alton Of the machine; saw no bolls;
blooms or leaves knocked TO. the
ground. The machine picked ap-
proximately five hundred pounds Of
seed cotton per hour; and only one
man was operating it. The cotton,
when delivered by the fingers, drop
ped to moving belt, or: belt con-
veyor,. one of these being on each
side of the machine, and was car
ried by this belt TO large bag on
each side Of the machine; everything
worked oothly, and automatically.
No other human agency was employ
ed than the lnsu who drove the ma
chine. Many ewers the expressions Of
surprise at the performance of the
machine; it seemed that most; Of
those who had gone there to witness
the operation Of the machine, had
done so, expecting to sec failure;
I will state, :andidly, that was one
of them. l had never expected tc
see cotton successfully picked by
/ thought it sad COM
mentary upon our inventive genius
that the. cotton picker should have
been developed by one who for the
greater part Of his life had resided
outside Of t!ae cotton belt; we have
had this brought home to us many
times before, however, it being well
known. that to these northern broth
ers, we owe the invention of the gin,
spinning ma achinery, rice harvesting,
and practically all other machinery
which we make daily use OF in con-
Yerting our raw material into finish
ed or semi-flnished product.
"The evening Of October 18th, our
car was taken to Dallas, Texas, anu
left near the fair grounds, the Dali
las fair being on at that time; we
spent two days here. The grounds
within the race track had been cul-
tiyated In cotton, and was in proper
condition for the demonstration
which we were TO see there. There
was a large crowd at the fair, and
interest in the machine was intense,
1t having been reported throughout
that section of the State that the
ma china had heen tried on Texas