28 A STOin' OF COTTON 



DAMAGE TO COTTON. 

 DUE TO THE WETTING OF COTTON. 



Immediately after cotton has been picl^ed, and is in evidence 

 as "SEED COTTON," its liability to damage, from the effect 

 of water, immediately COMMENCES. 



If the "SEED COTTON" is allowed to remain in the field 

 IN PILES, as is very often the case, and is NOT protected 

 from the rain, and, if these piles in the fields are NOT elevated 

 from the ground by having been placed on a platform, the 

 cotton fibre, that is exposed on the top of the pile of cotton, 

 will NOT usually become damaged, but the cotton on the bot- 

 tom of the pile will quickly damage; FOR — 



As soon as the rain STARTS FALLING on this pile of 

 "SEED COTTON," the fibres on the top and sides of the pile 

 will immediately cling together, and seal the air between the 

 fibres, and the water will be deflected; and the pile of "SEED 

 COTTON" will shed all, or nearly all, of the water, and the 

 moisture on the TOP and SIDES of the pile, will dry out in a 

 very short time after the rain ceases. 



Quite a good deal of the moisture, that fell upon the top of 

 the pile and ran down its sides, finds its way UNDER these 

 piles of cotton and is rapidly absorbed, by CAPILLARY 

 ATTRACTION, INTO and between the fibres of the cotton 

 that are situated UNDER the piles, and being so situated, pre- 

 vent the naturally rapid evaporation of moisture, that takes 

 place on the TOP and the SIDES of the pile of "SEED COT- 

 TON." 



If the "SEED COTTON," that has been gathered in the field 

 is immediately transferred from the picker's sack or bag to 

 a cotton gin, in a dry state, the finished product, that is rep- 

 resented by a BALE OF LINT COTTON will be a perfectly 

 DRY BALE, when delivered to the producer at the gin. 



Large planters usually erect, in many places on their plan- 

 tations, small cotton houses for the reception of "SEED COT- 

 TON" direct from the field, when it is gathered, in EXCESS of 

 the ability of the ginner to gin as fast as the cotton is picked. 



If "SEED COTTON" IS ginned, when the lint on the "SEED 

 COTTON" is DAMP, but not DAMP ENOUGH, to damage 



