372 THE FORAGE AND FIBER CROPS IN AMERICA 



to an elevated bin from which the owner may receive it in his 

 wagon by gravity. Thus, in a few minutes from the time the 

 cotton is unloaded, the owner may receive his seed and his 

 baled cotton. During the whole process little or no hand labor 

 is required. The improvement in the economy of labor in 

 ginning and pressing cotton is analogous to that brought about 

 by the steam thresher and the elevator system in cereal produc- 

 tion. 



The commercial value of cotton may be seriously affected by 

 the process of ginning. Anything which tends to break the fibers 

 will necessarily reduce the value for manufacturing purposes. 

 Good ginning depends on the freedom of the seed cotton from 

 foreign substances, as leaves and burs, on dryness of the crop, on 

 the condition of the gin and the rate at which the gin is run, 

 and on proper feeding of the seed cotton. The common rate of 

 speed for the steam engine is about 500 revolutions per minute. 

 A rate of 300 revolutions per minute will produce a lint of higher 

 quality, but will greatly reduce the capacity of the gin. Newly 

 sharpened saws or wet cotton may cause breaking of the fibers. 

 Special gins, known as delinter gins, are made for removing the 

 "fuzz" or linters from seed which is to be used for the produc- 

 tion of cotton seed oil. 



473. Marketing. The seed cotton is ordinarily taken to the 

 public gin in wagon holding about 1,500 pounds of seed cotton, or 

 about a bale of lint. Thin is ginned and baled at once at a cost of 

 about a dollar a bale, the planter receiving back the cotton baled, 

 which he may sell at once to the cotton merchant or store in 

 the warehouse, or return to the plantation until he is ready to 

 dispose of it. When stored in the warehouse, there is a charge 

 for storing, insurance and usually selling, amounting to one to 

 two dollars per bale. After baling, cotton is frequently stored 

 v;ith little or no protection, often to its serious detriment. 



All railway towns of moderate size or larger have cotton mer- 

 t>i>y the cotton for cash upon inspection. The cotton 



