BEHAVIOR OF SEED COTTON IN FARM STORAGE. 15 



inff to about 15 (levees from the maximum. The course of bulb 2 

 very closely agrees wnih that of bulb 1 , while bulb 3 averages slightly 

 lower throughout. 



Bulbs 1', 2', an<l 3' occupied nearly corresponding positions in the 

 untramped cotton, pile 2. Each of these started in with a higher 

 temperature than the other pile developed at any time. It should be 

 remembered that the cotton in pile 1 had been spread in the loft a 

 week, while pile 2 was composed of cotton brought directly from the 

 field, which had retained considerable warmth received directly from 

 the sun. This accounts for the high initial temperatures in the second 

 pile. These bulbs showed a fairly uniform decline, except in the case 

 of bulb 1', where there was a rise of 10 degrees from October 28 to 

 November 1, followed by a decline of over 16 degrees to November 4 

 and another rise of 18 degrees by November 7. This bulb was located 

 in the most compact part of the loose pile, and the fluctuations may 

 be due to slight heating in spots, because sheets containing cotton 

 picked in the morning carried more moisture than those picked in 

 the afternoon. Correspondingly sharp changes were not note<l in the 

 temperatures recorded from bulbs 2' and 3'. A bulb giving readings 

 not shown in the table placed on the floor under the center of pile 1 

 agreed closely with the outdoor temperature. This indicates that 

 such temperatures as were developed were not communicated <lown- 

 war<l in such a way as to affect the layer of cotton immediately on 

 the floor. The buildmg is on blocks, allowing free circulation of ah 

 under it. 



The temperatures outside and inside the building show no marked 

 difference in fluctuations and no correlation with temperatures gen- 

 erated within any of the piles. The same may be said regarding the 

 relative humidities, which have been included chiefly because of their 

 interest as showing the atmospheric moisture conditions that pre- 

 vailed during a large part of a single cotton-picking season. . 



MOISTURE CONDITIONS IN TJNGINNED COTTON IN FARM STORAGE. 



On October 1, when possession was taken of bin A, the cotton then 

 in it was moved to bin B (fig. 1). On October 15 this cotton was 

 moved again to bin C. Two thermometer bulbs had been placed in 

 the pile when it reached bin B. The temperatures indicated by these 

 gi-adually rose from October 1 to October 15. On the first date these 

 bulbs, which were buried in the pile at different places, but both 18 

 inches <leep, showed temperatures of 69° and 70° F., respectively; 

 on October 7, 74° and 72° F.; and on October 14, 82° and 80° F. 

 On October 15 the still rising temperature was interrupted by forking 

 mto bin C. 



On October 10 samples were taken at four points in this pile of 

 cotton for the determination of moisture. Two of these were drawn 



[Cir, 123] 



