MECHANIZING THE COTTON HARVEST — STREET 427 



The introduction of mechanical harvesting has been vastly facili- 

 tated by a large variety of complementary inventions and techniques 

 which have emerged in the past few years, and which have been pro- 

 moted by the National Cotton Council through its annual beltwide 

 mechanization conferences. The weeding and thinning problem is be- 

 ing met by the application of pre- and post-emergence chemical herbi- 

 cides, flame weeders, and newly designed mechanical choppers and 

 cultivators. Plant breeders are developing varieties suited to mechani- 

 cal harvesting. Chemical defoliants are used to remove the leaves 

 before harvest, and improved ginning machinery aids in preserving 

 clean, high-quality lint. Taken together, these advances constitute a 

 technological revolution, the profound consequences of which are only 

 beginning to be appreciated. 



Reprints of the various articles in this Report may be obtained, as long 

 as the supply lasts, on request addressed to the Editorial and Publications 

 Division, Smithsonian Institution, Washington 25, D. C. 



