American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-03-08

49, ""f @EE@ - @@ 48[
check the upward tendency Of the new
variety. By doing this year after year
his four cared variety was certain.
Remember Davy Crockett" said his
father one day. BE sure you're right,
then 20 ahead"
Hey. Joe" called a couutryman one
day, refining up bis team. 4 want to
get some Of that corn for seed. WI
you sell it7~
Yes. sir. after il has been measured
By the committee. Can't touch It until
then"
All right; 1 want some. What do
you ask for ity'
Two dollars and a half a bushel for
selected seed
~sunerin' Moses. that's mighty steep,
Joer'
Yes. and its mighty good corr too.
II will make three times as much az
you have been getting. with the right
treatment"
We'll. I reckon it's with II. Put me
down Tor two bushels. and I'll norate
the news around that you'll sell for
that price
The last week IN July brought the
drst open cotton boil There were hun
dreds OF others cracking. ready to
burst with the beautiful snow white
mass OF fiber.
Joe remembered reading that the alb
sence OF trash. grit or discoloraions In
cotton vas worth several dollars a
bale. he recalled how his father and
the other farmers would do-wait until
nearly the whole crop had opened be
fore starting the picking. The lowest
limbs OF the cotton stalk matured their
fruit first, and often the wind or rain
would the cotton to fall to the
ground, 70 be beaten into the dirt dis
colored. flled with grit and sticks and
leaves.
Then the picking would go forward
In a rush. The sacks the pickers car
ried would be emptied right on the
ground at the ends Of the rows and the
cotton scOoped up from there with a
shovel. a pitchfork or In armfuls and
thrown into an open wagon bed Then
some one. often with muddy feet. would
tramp the loose cotton in the wagon.
inhicting more dirt and discolorations-
Joe determined his cutton should be
handled differently. There was ar
abandoned negro cabin near the field.
He swept II out twice. then with q
pine top busted IL thoroughly. He col.
lected all the empty cat. corn and meal
sacks about the place. turned them In.
side out and shook them until there
was no dirt or dust left In them. These
be piled In the cabin ready for use.
No rn~ H. u~--n-z - a-r r@~4r
Of stout bedticking across the mouth
OF a fifty pound meal sack 50 be could
sling Il across his shoulders. the oper
mouth OF the sack at his left side ready
10 receive the cotton as be picked it
Then be waited for more cotton L
open.
; He went through the prize acre OF
corn and pulled the fodder OF as higt
[ as he could reach. II was rather dry by
this time. but be thought a dollar o.
> two could be made IN that way to cui
+ down the expense Of the acre he go
200 good bundles OF fodder, which Mr.
: Somerville sold for him at 2 cents {
; bundle-that meant 81 clipped from tn
{ expense count
By this time enough open boils CLEAN
Ell white among the cotton plants L
, make il worth while 10 start picking
Singing his sack over his shoulder. 10.
began systematically going down on,
row and up another. When be came Il
an open boil he grasped il near th'
stem with his left hand. then witt
thumb and first three fingers OF h4
right pulled the fluffy cotton from tn,
iaring mouth Of the boil.
He had never noticed before how
much a green cotton boil was ike {
green hickory nut husk. only larger
and the bon opened at the outer enc
when ripe very similar 10 a chestnu.
burr after the frost had fallen upon il
When he filled the sack he carried 4
was emptied directly into one Of tn
cat sacks he had provided. and the cot
ton nev touched the ground Fact
bit Of dead leaf or stem or hull Of 10.
dried boil vas picked out. and nothin.
married the wilderness OF his product
As each cat sack was flied he tied tn,
mouth OF it with stout Irvine and stow
ed IL away in the dry cabin
In a week be had picked enough {,
make s bale The sacks were loades
into the wagon. and a neighborhooS
gin owner was induced 10 raise steam
and gin the cotton for him.
J The cotton was dumped into a bop
per; then il was conveyed to the cir
an arrangement OF round small saw
q with fine teeth. set so closely togethe
= on a revolving shaft that the seed eoul,
i not pass between the saws A role
& kant rhr,ufnC tho Norron a-afrSr -
> battery OF saws. about Eve feet loue
and the swiftly revolving saws woul,
catch the lint growing 70 each cottol
: seed The result was thar the see
! could not pass the saws. but the lin
!, was yanked oil In a iiry. and the see,
I fell into a trough below. Behind tn
= saws was a brush which ~collecte.
the lint from the saws. and IL paSse,