﻿154 
  AGRICULTURE. 
  

  

  means 
  of 
  a 
  triangular 
  spirit-level 
  resting 
  on 
  a 
  tripod 
  for 
  

   more 
  convenient 
  adjustment. 
  

  

  Like 
  type-setting, 
  cotton-picking 
  is 
  and 
  must 
  still 
  

   continue 
  to 
  be 
  performed 
  by 
  the 
  fingers 
  ; 
  but 
  its 
  rate 
  

   has 
  become 
  as 
  accelerated 
  as 
  if 
  some 
  new 
  motive 
  power 
  

   was 
  applied 
  in 
  the 
  process. 
  Fifty 
  years 
  since, 
  fifty 
  

   pounds 
  a 
  day 
  was 
  accounted 
  fair 
  work. 
  Now 
  the 
  chil- 
  

   dren 
  double 
  this 
  ; 
  and 
  two 
  hundred 
  pounds 
  is 
  not 
  unfre- 
  

   quently 
  the 
  average 
  of 
  the 
  whole 
  gang 
  of 
  hands, 
  to 
  say 
  

   nothing 
  of 
  those 
  who 
  pick 
  their 
  four 
  or 
  five 
  hundred 
  

   pounds 
  of 
  cotton 
  {IjoUs?). 
  

  

  The 
  cotton 
  is 
  gathered 
  from 
  the 
  bolls 
  in 
  the 
  field 
  in 
  

   sacks, 
  made 
  of 
  Lowell 
  cotton, 
  suspended 
  over 
  the 
  neck 
  

   and 
  shoulder, 
  and 
  from 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  emptied 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  

   time 
  into 
  large 
  baskets 
  made 
  generally 
  of 
  white 
  oak 
  

   splints, 
  and 
  capable 
  of 
  holding 
  about 
  one 
  hundred 
  and 
  

   fifty 
  pounds. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  generally 
  weighed 
  at 
  noon 
  and 
  at 
  night, 
  in 
  the 
  

   field, 
  and 
  the 
  baskets 
  emptied 
  into 
  a 
  wagon, 
  hauled 
  to 
  

   the 
  gin 
  yard, 
  and 
  spread 
  upon 
  scaffolds, 
  exposed 
  to 
  the 
  

   sun, 
  to 
  dry. 
  It 
  is 
  there 
  picked 
  over 
  and 
  trashed 
  by 
  the 
  

   invalids, 
  and 
  such 
  of 
  the 
  hands 
  as 
  are 
  suited 
  to 
  this 
  light 
  

   employment. 
  

  

  When 
  a 
  long-continued 
  drought 
  prevails, 
  after 
  the 
  

   frosts 
  have 
  checked 
  the 
  further 
  growth, 
  and 
  the 
  cotton 
  

   becomes 
  very 
  dry 
  in 
  the 
  field, 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  necessary 
  to 
  put 
  

   it 
  upon 
  the 
  scaffolds. 
  If 
  put 
  up 
  in 
  bulk 
  a 
  little 
  damp, 
  

   it 
  undergoes 
  a 
  heat 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  essential 
  oil 
  of 
  the 
  

   seed 
  is 
  discharged, 
  imparting 
  to 
  the 
  fibre 
  a 
  creamy 
  color, 
  

   highly 
  prized 
  by 
  some 
  purchasers, 
  and 
  which 
  sometimes 
  

   effects 
  a 
  good 
  sale 
  of 
  a 
  really 
  inferior 
  article. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  rather 
  a 
  dangerous 
  experiment, 
  however, 
  to 
  

   make 
  on 
  a 
  large 
  scale 
  ; 
  for, 
  if 
  the 
  heat 
  rises 
  too 
  high, 
  

  

  