38 A STORY OF COTTON 



This particular phase could be readily remedied by the 

 institution of the proper laws governing the subject. 



The act of removing the damaged cotton from a bale and 

 allowing the sound cotton to remain undisturbed, is termed 

 the "RE-CONDITIONING OF COTTON," or, in other words, 

 the re-creating of the cotton, by extracting the damaged por- 

 tion from the bale and reproducing a bale of sound cotton. 



This RE-CONDITIONING is conducted in various ways. 



At some points and under some conditions, the cotton is re- 

 conditioned, by removing the bands from the bales, and using 

 a cotton hook or a wire brush, if the bale is slightly damaged. 



The damaged portion is removed from the bale by pulling 

 out the diseased cotton and allowing the sound fibre to remain. 



Even when conducted, as it usually is, on an ABSOLUTELY 

 HONEST basis, it is almost impossible to separate the DAM- 

 AGED FIBRE from the sound fibre, without pulling from the 

 bale much sound cotton. 



Another means of removal, and one that is universally 

 adopted where the amount of damage is very extensive, is the 

 sending of the bale to a cotton pickery for re-conditioning. 



Many cotton pickeries exist and prosper MAINLY by virtue 

 of the damage to cotton, and are equipped for removing dam- 

 aged cotton from the bales of cotton. 



The bales picked at the pickery, are stripped of both their 

 bagging and bands, and employees, usually women, surround 

 the bales, and, by hand, pick the damaged fibre from the bales. 



The bagging, very often, wall have ROTTED from exposure, 

 and, in that case, the pickery man applies new bagging and re- 

 marks the bale. 



The pickery man usually buys the pickings that he removes 

 from the bale, gauging his price in accordance with the deteri- 

 oration of the fibre, by damage. 



If the pickings, taken from the bales, show that a SLIGHT 

 deterioration has taken place, the pickery man gives the pro- 

 ducer, or the merchant, a certain price. 



The pickery man has means of drying out the SLIGHTLY 

 damaged fibre, and running it through a machine, and re-bal- 

 ing it, the re-baled cotton is placed on the market for sale on 

 its merits. 



