﻿178 
  AGRICULTURE. 
  

  

  the 
  purpose, 
  inferior 
  only 
  to 
  the 
  iron 
  hoop, 
  which 
  has 
  

   this 
  advantage 
  over 
  it, 
  of 
  affording 
  greater 
  security 
  in 
  

   case 
  of 
  fire 
  on 
  shipboard, 
  as 
  the 
  cotton, 
  in 
  a 
  well-com- 
  

   pressed 
  bale, 
  burns 
  slowly 
  with 
  a 
  smouldering 
  flame, 
  

   affording 
  time 
  to 
  extinguish 
  it; 
  whereas, 
  if 
  the 
  ropes 
  

   were 
  burned 
  in 
  two, 
  the 
  bale 
  bursts 
  open, 
  and 
  goes 
  off 
  

   with 
  a 
  fierce 
  blaze 
  that 
  would 
  probably 
  baffle 
  all 
  at- 
  

   tempts 
  to 
  save 
  the 
  cargo. 
  

  

  Gin 
  houses 
  are 
  generally 
  built 
  with 
  a 
  single 
  floor 
  

   resting 
  on 
  high 
  blocks 
  or 
  pillars 
  to 
  admit 
  of 
  the 
  running 
  

   gear 
  below 
  ; 
  a 
  superstructure 
  with 
  one 
  low 
  story, 
  to- 
  

   gether 
  with 
  the 
  span 
  of 
  the 
  roof, 
  ordinarily 
  affording 
  all 
  

   the 
  space 
  required 
  ; 
  the 
  gin 
  stand 
  being 
  at 
  one 
  end, 
  and 
  

   the 
  lint 
  room 
  and 
  cotton 
  press 
  at 
  the 
  other. 
  

  

  The 
  running 
  gear 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  central 
  wheel, 
  

   twelve 
  or 
  fifteen 
  feet 
  in 
  diameter, 
  the 
  periphery 
  of 
  which 
  

   rests 
  upon 
  arms 
  framed 
  into 
  a 
  massive 
  upright 
  shaft, 
  

   which 
  rests 
  on 
  an 
  iron 
  gudgeon, 
  and 
  turns 
  in 
  a 
  metallic 
  

   ink 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  wooden 
  block 
  sunk 
  in 
  the 
  ground. 
  The 
  

   circumference 
  of 
  the 
  wheel 
  is 
  provided 
  with 
  vertical 
  

   cogs 
  formerly 
  made 
  of 
  hickory, 
  or 
  some 
  hard 
  wood, 
  but 
  

   which 
  are 
  now 
  very 
  generally 
  superseded 
  by 
  iron, 
  cast 
  

   in 
  segments 
  of 
  convenient 
  dimensions, 
  and 
  securely 
  

   bolted 
  to 
  the 
  rim 
  of 
  the 
  wheel; 
  these 
  cogs 
  play 
  into 
  a 
  

   wallower, 
  or 
  a 
  vertical 
  spur-wheel, 
  on 
  one 
  end 
  of 
  a 
  hori- 
  

   zontal 
  shaft, 
  to 
  the 
  opposite 
  end 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  band 
  

   wheel 
  or 
  drum 
  is 
  attached 
  ; 
  a 
  leather 
  band, 
  about 
  a 
  foot 
  

   in 
  width, 
  connects 
  this 
  with 
  the 
  trundle-head 
  of 
  the 
  

   gin 
  stand, 
  and 
  puts 
  the 
  machinery 
  in 
  motion. 
  

  

  About 
  four 
  mules 
  are 
  employed 
  to 
  propel 
  the 
  ma- 
  

   chinery. 
  One 
  careful 
  experienced 
  hand 
  attends 
  the 
  

   gin 
  stand, 
  and 
  two 
  small 
  boys 
  are 
  required 
  to 
  drive 
  the 
  

   mules. 
  

  

  The 
  seed 
  cotton, 
  beyond 
  what 
  is 
  required 
  to 
  keep 
  

  

  