The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-10-28
PRICES COTTON PICKER.
ID. "A. T0mpkins, Who Has Seen 1t
Work, Is Favorabiy Impressed
With 1t.

The Charlotte Observer OF Sunday
! had the following:
Among those who witnessed the
demonstration of the Price -Camprell
cotton picker Friday was Mr.. d. A.
Tompkins. An Observer representa-
tive obtained from him the following
statement of his impressions:
| "One OF the most attractive fields
Of invention now known is that of
cotton picking. 1t costs the cotton
growing States from $125,OOO,OO0 to
! $15O,OOO,O00 annually to pick the cot
ton crop. 1t is estimated, that if
, power can be economically applied to
this work, there will be as great a
saving as when it was applied to sew
ing through means Of the sewing ma
chine. The first sewing machine was
very crude affair. The first loco
motive was a very crude affair. Most
important inventions have developed
to perfected machine doing the
work with full efficiency and econ
omy
Some twenty years ago / investi-
gated the Mason cotton picker at
Sumter, S. G.. The machine picked
| cotton very we'll. 1t left about 10
per cent Of the cotton in the field
| Many of the parts We're too fraiI and
would not stand the rough work Of
| the cotton field. 1 think if enough
money had been behind it the ma
chine might have been developed to
be practically economic and useful
That was mule-power machine and
was wonderfully ingenious. Mr.. c. Y
Mason. the inventor, had to give ii
up for lack Of funds to continue the
| development.
If ever an invention gets to the
point where it is commercially eco
| nomical to buy and operate, then its
| weak spots are apt to be eliminated
Because every new machine sold
! means that some good machanic is
on it. AS the machines multiply,
these improvements Of many men be-
| come cumulative and the machine
| rapidly improves in efficiency and in
durability and in economy Of opera
| ton.
"Since the Mason picker there have
been many attempts to put a picker
| on the market. Some Of them have
| failed for want Of money, and some
by incompleteness of design. Mr..
Prices machine leaves about 1-2 per
cent ~ the f-ld instcaG Of 10 per
| cent as MasoH's did The picking is
practically as Ee4r as car ne done ~
| hano, mt little Of the cotton drops
from. the picker, making t.e : - per
| cent referred to above
"Mr. Price has the advantages and
disadvantages Of an automobile with
gasoline power; against Mason's mul"
| power. One Of the advantages is
cheap power, and one Of the disad-
vantages is carrying a heavy ma
chine through a plowed field
Mr.. Price says that he has nine
machines sold in Texas, working on
| commercial basis. AS soon as any
new machine gets to where 1t will
| stay sold. it. is more than apt then
| to rapidly improve in efficiency and
| economy.
1T looks as though the present ma
| chine Is going to stay on the market
| As time goes on the cost Of the ma
chimes may be reduced, or the
efficiency increased.
For the bailing' Of cotton immedi-
ately after the war a hand press was
| devised which was made and sold for
about $50. Mr.. w. F.. ]. Liddell in
vented and put on the market his
BOSE press at $40. 1t was thought
to be more than the people would pay
for press, but it sold very extern
sively' and it was not long before
there was call for a steam press at
$500. Similarly the price of the
picker may not go down but the price
must either go down or the, efficiency
|lcome up. The probabilities are that
both things will happen, the ma
chimes will be sold somewhat cheaper
| and il will from time TO time be
made more efficient
whenever the American people
have found an open rfeld for inven-
ticn, the effect has been duly COM
menced and the field has been con-
tnued to be worked until the inven-