1847.] South Carolina Agricultural Society. 53 



human foot is employed. Its advantages, therefore, when the 

 outlay and incidental expenses are brought to view, are inconsi- 

 derable. The latter gives generally about 200 lbs. per day. On 

 the debit side the items do not subtract materially from the inte- 

 rest of the capital employed. The objections to Farris's gin are, 

 first, that it works irregularly; and that unless the adjustment of 

 the parts of the whole be entirely true, no calculations as to its 

 performance can be made: and secondly, that from the rapidity of 

 the motion which, for a profitable daily yield, must be kept up, 

 the staple of the cotton is injured. The first disadvantage is un- 

 deniably a strong one, but the last is at least problematical. 

 Steam applied to Farris's gin has so far afforded more satisfac- 

 tion than any other scheme of accomplishing the object of the 

 planter yet tried. It is, however, certain that a machine for de- 

 taching the seed from Sea-Island cotton, without impairing some 

 of its valuable properties, is still a desideratum; and as large ex- 

 penditures of money and labor have been fruitlessly made in this 

 and other countries to attain an end so desirable to the grower, 

 the task may be pronounced embarrassing and full of difficulties. 

 If, nevertheless, the labor of ginning cotton cannot be essentially 

 abridged, mechanical aid could and ought to be made subservient 

 to the preparing of it for the gin, for the bag, and for packing it. 

 In reference to the last operation, why is not the screw used? 

 This mechanical agent is equal to the power of about 20 men; 

 in other words, with one boy and a mule, it can do in a day as 

 much as twenty men can accomplish in the same time with the 

 pestle. As the pressure of the screw is equal and regular, no 

 damage whatever to the staple can ensue from its action; on the 

 contrary, the repeated blows of the pestle, always of a wedge-like 

 shape, must in some degree operate injuriously. As it is believed 

 that the ship owners give a decided preference to the square over 

 the round bale, if there be no weighty objections on the part of 

 the manufacturer, which can easily be ascertained, the planter 

 would consult his interest by substituting the screw for the pre- 

 sent clumsy instrument for packing cotton. 



From the tenor of this essay, it will readily be perceived that 

 the resources for fertilizing the lands of the sea board are nearly 

 as variant as they are abundant. If our planters would discard 

 the ignoble principle that science is unnecessary to their success; 

 if they understood the manner in which manures act; the best 

 modes of applying them, and their relative value and durability; 

 if they had but a slight acquaintance with the nature of soils, and 

 the habits of plants, how infinitely more interesting, more worthy 

 of their regard and high calling, and conducive to the individual 

 prosperity and the public weal, would be their field labors, and all 

 the duties inseparably identified with their profession! The spirit 



