﻿AGRICULTURE. 
  15& 
  

  

  putrefaction 
  and 
  mildew 
  will 
  supervene, 
  and 
  serious 
  

   damage 
  will 
  result. 
  

  

  In 
  an 
  average 
  of 
  ten 
  years, 
  in 
  which 
  observations 
  

   have 
  been 
  recorded, 
  the 
  first 
  cotton 
  blooms 
  made 
  their 
  

   appearance 
  about 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  June, 
  and 
  the 
  plant 
  was 
  

   killed 
  by 
  frost 
  about 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  November. 
  

  

  Whitney's 
  gin 
  — 
  invention 
  and 
  introduction 
  of 
  machinery. 
  

  

  The 
  implements 
  and 
  machinery 
  used 
  for 
  the 
  prepara- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  cotton 
  for 
  market 
  were, 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  instance, 
  of 
  

   the 
  most 
  simple 
  and 
  primitive 
  kind. 
  Next 
  to 
  the 
  

   separation 
  of 
  the 
  seed 
  from 
  the 
  fibre 
  by 
  the 
  fingers, 
  the 
  

   small 
  roller 
  gin 
  was 
  used. 
  It 
  was 
  ordinarily 
  attached 
  to 
  

   the 
  middle 
  of 
  a 
  common 
  rude 
  bench 
  supported 
  on 
  legs 
  

   inserted 
  in 
  auger 
  holes 
  (Plate 
  VII. 
  Fig. 
  1) 
  . 
  Astride 
  of 
  

   this, 
  two 
  boys, 
  seated 
  face 
  to 
  face, 
  operated 
  each 
  by 
  

   turning 
  a 
  crank, 
  one 
  feeding 
  the 
  rollers 
  with 
  the 
  seed 
  

   cotton, 
  the 
  other 
  freeing 
  them 
  from 
  the 
  lint 
  on 
  the 
  oppo- 
  

   site 
  side, 
  as 
  it 
  was 
  drawn 
  through, 
  leaving 
  the 
  seed 
  

   behind. 
  

  

  The 
  rollers 
  were 
  less 
  than 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter, 
  and 
  

   about 
  eight 
  inches 
  long, 
  revolving 
  of 
  course 
  in 
  opposite 
  

   directions, 
  but 
  in 
  close 
  contact. 
  

  

  The 
  next 
  step, 
  in 
  advance, 
  was 
  a 
  modification 
  of 
  this 
  

   gin, 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  rollers 
  were 
  rotated 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  

   treadle 
  worked 
  by 
  the 
  foot, 
  leaving 
  both 
  hands 
  of 
  the 
  

   ofterator 
  free 
  to 
  attend 
  upon 
  the 
  rollers 
  ; 
  by 
  which 
  

   means 
  one 
  person 
  was 
  enabled 
  to 
  manage 
  a 
  single 
  stand. 
  

   This 
  description 
  of 
  gin 
  was 
  in 
  use 
  in 
  the 
  West 
  Indies 
  in 
  

   1764 
  (see 
  Plate 
  VIII. 
  and 
  Fig. 
  2, 
  Plate 
  VIL). 
  

  

  Iron 
  in 
  the 
  minutest 
  particle 
  did 
  not 
  necessarily 
  enter 
  

   into 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  these 
  gins, 
  nor 
  is 
  it 
  believed 
  to 
  

   be 
  indlspensahle 
  to 
  this 
  day 
  in 
  their 
  improved 
  forms. 
  

  

  