30 



hind the gin and fixed in position with a thumb screw and slotted 

 angle iron so that it can be properly adjusted. Before the gins are 

 used "links" (or connecting rods attached to the beaters) of a different 

 construction are often substituted for those sent with them. 



In almost every instance, the gins are driven by two belts, one dri- 

 ving the roller, from about 140 to 175 revolutions per minute, and the 

 other the beater at the rate of from 850 to 900 revolutions per minute. 

 The longer the staple the dower the roller ought to turn so as not t > 

 break the fibre. 



Fires. 

 Owing to cotton being very inflammable, fires sonnetimes occur in 

 the factories aad many precautions are taken to prevent it spreading. 

 Some of the buildings are lined with tin or galvanized iron; others 

 have the insides of the factories painted with fire-proof paint. In 

 some instances it was observed that a pipe from the boiler entered the 

 ginning room and in case of fire all windows and doors were imme- 

 diately closed and >he room filled with steam. In most factories 

 buckets of water, containing an osnaburg sheet soaked in them, were 

 suspended by each gin, so that, in the event of the lint taking fire, 

 the wet sheet could at once be thrown over the flames. At all the 

 best factories, water under pressure is laid on with a hose always 

 ready for use. 



Baling. 



From the ginning room, the lint is taken to the baling press which 

 is sometimes in a separate room. For Sea Island cotton the press is 

 entirely different from that used for Upland cotton. In the Sea 

 Islands it is usually worked by hand. In one large ginnery in Geor 

 gia it was observed to be worked by steam. The eonstruction of the 

 hand power press in which the lint is pressed into a large sack by a 

 plunger is is as follows : The upper portion of the press which con- 

 tains the rack and pinions for raising and depre-sing the plunger 

 rests on the floor. Just beneath the plunger, a hole is cut in the floor, 

 slightly smaller than the size of the bale In this hole the top end of 

 the bale-bag is passed and tacked around an iron ring, slightly larger 

 than the hole, which thus keeps the top of the bag suspended. Under- 

 neath the bale-bag on which it just rests there is a platform suspended 

 by four iron rods from the base of the press. This platform can be 

 lowered or raised by means of nuts with handles working on threads 

 run for some distance on the rods. The bale- bags which are 7^ ft. 

 long are made of Dundee sacking. Two qualities of this sacking are 

 used, one which weighs 2 lb. per yard and the other, which is thicker, 

 2^ lb per yard 



As soon as the bale-bag is filled to about one-third of its length, 

 the plunger is lowered into the bag and the lint pressed. I'he plunger 

 is then allowed to remain in the bag on th-^ lint until the next lot is 

 ready when it is withdrawn and the lint inserted. This operation is 

 continued until the bag is full, when it weighs about 400 lb. Before 

 the b;:g is put into position to receive the lint a handful of cotton is 

 pat into each corner at the bottom and an "ear" made so tliat in lift- 

 ing the bale the workmen have something to hold by "Ears" are also 

 made at the corners of the bag when the bale is being sewed up. 



