The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-10-22
INVENTOR TELLS OF
HIS COTTON MACHINE
SAYS THAT 1T IS FEASIBLE
FOR WORK
WILL PICK COTTON
Has Been Demonstrated in Co
lumbia and Has Actually Been
Able to Deliver Goods.
WILL PICK COTTON

For several days w. K. Dana of
"estbrook. Maine, has been in An
de!'son county as the guest of ]. J..
Fretwell and other friends. Mr.. Dana
Is In the South fer the purpose of
testing and demonstrating his cotton
rlcking machine and Indications are
that Mr. Dana now has a machine
TO deliver the goods. While in An
uerson ne talked very tercstingly OF
the possibilities of the machine in
vented by him.
II feel very happy today. because
peiieVe that l have succeeded after
:" years work. said Mr.. Dana. Just
peiore leaving Columbia for Fair
"old farms. where his cotton har-
'esting machine was to be given q
ryout. The demonstration was given
IN large cotton field, we'll fruited.
II Fairwold and was under the di-
rection CT James b. Knowlton of
Westbrook, expert engineer of the
hnowlton Machine company. The
machine which has been built bv Mr..
oana is one OF the GOO cotton pick
ers that have been patented under
tho United States laws. MI. Dana
believes that he has solved the prob-
lem that has so lcng baffled the far
niers OF the South. He said yester-
day that the cotton planters would
no longer have to worry about cot
ton pickers.
In great many ways Mr.. Dana
has right to feel proud of his in
yention. He has taken a long step
In the right direction and his ma
chine has many commendable quail
ties. 1t will pick cotton. It will pick
cotton quickly.
mechanically 1t is ali right. II
VIII certainly pick cotton, It viii
do all that it is claimed. However.
| can say nothing as to its economi.
cal value. I don't know the cost of
operation" said w. w. Long. State
agent OF the United States farm
demonstration work, who was among
me spectators at the demonstration
Yesterday.
Commissioner Watson was among
those to investigate the machine. He
-hought the machine one of the most
practical ever built, but objected to
| me trash In some OF the cotton. THAT
one obstacle that you must over
come to have p successful cotton
olcker, said the commissioner, af-
ter pointing to some trash in the
nacnlne. IN answer to this cbiec-
lon' Mir. Dana said that expert help
vas required TO operate the machine.
ma that when pickers became ac-
'ustomed to the use OF the hose the
:otton was practically free of dead
leaves.
"A careful test was given yesterday
,s To the mechanical possibilities of
me machine. No demonstrations
we're made as to the cost of opera
ION. Mr.. Dana claims that the ma
nine Is much cheaper than the hand
,ickers.
Inc machine which was exhibited
'esterccy has been gradually assem-
ied Dy Mr.. Dana. Each par. has
'een tested and improvements have
'een made from time to time. The
machine Is not a fair sample of one
that would be found in use on the
ordinary farm. The demonstration
machine weighs 5000 pounds and A.
mas cost to date about $1,000.
A brief description of the mncb,ne
eoliows: 1t is about IL feet Ionp.
eight feet high and resembles a trac.
ton engine. The wheels straddle 81
cotton row. The machine Ia operate6
by gasoline and an engineer Is re-
luired. There are four tubes or sets
OF hose. These tubes are about two
lnches In diameter and on the end
or each is kind OF nozzle. resem-
ping fire hose. There ia a com
pressed air engine on the machine
which sucks the cotton through the
nose. There is a revolving ring in
sach hoae with small teeth. The noz-
Ie Is applied to cotton boil. The
cotton Is Immediately sucked cut and
carried through the hose to .severai
bags attached &c the machine. Fonr
pickers operating the nozzles clean
elgnt rows at time. 1t is claimed
shat the machine will pick abont
-,4oo pounds day. The bolls are
picked clean. one-fourth of a gallon
OF gasoline per hour is REQUIRED for
'ne operation of the engine.
Il expect to build three no-z,s
machine. The engineer can nick
VIII when he is not moving the nachine
This machine will weigh abont Kan
pounds and will not be expensivo y
said Mr.. Dana yesterday.