FARM CROPS. 115 



A man with a double team can cultivate about six acres 

 in one day. If the middles are also to receive addi- 

 tional cultivation, the same area in the same time can 

 be gone over with a single team with a sweep or mid- 

 dle cultivator. The lateness to which cultivation can 

 be carried profitably will vary greatly in different sec- 

 tions. 



Harvesting. Cotton is harvested by hand labor. 

 A moderately good hand can pick 200 pounds of seed 

 cotton in a day. Picking is contracted for by the hun- 

 dred pounds, the price ranging from 50 to 75 cents. 

 Several machines for picking cotton have been patented, 

 but none of them have come into general use. 



Ginning. After the seed cotton leaves the farm 

 it is handled entirely by machinery. It is ginned, 

 carded and woven by steam power. A suction fan 

 lifts it from the wagon to the gin, where revolving 

 saws take off the lint, leaving the clean seed. 1,500 

 pounds of short staple or 1,700 pounds of long staple 



PICKING COTTON. 



