DUEA1STG0 COTTON" IN" THE IMPERIAL VALLEY. 5 



store his seed cotton ; but if he does not have at least two wagons so 

 that one or the other may be always in the field to be filled with cot- 

 ton as the pickers gather it, he should have tarpaulins or building 

 paper spread on the ground so that the cotton may be emptied on 

 them as it is picked. This method will keep the cotton clean and also 

 will protect it from the dampness of the ground. 



One cotton plantation in the valley has had installed at its local 

 railroad station an automatic loader, driven by a gasoline engine, 

 for use in transferring the seed cotton from the wagons to the cars. 

 Attached to this machine is a cleaning device, and when the cotton 

 is conveyed by suction from the wagon to the freight cars it is 

 drawn over a grating through which fall the leaf and other impuri- 

 ties. This process of cleaning the cotton before it is ginned has been 

 found to be of considerable value, as it not only serves to blow out 

 the dust, but also removes enough leaf to raise the cotton in grade. 

 Besides this arrangement for increasing the grade of its cotton, the 

 plantation is very careful in picking and handling it, and the increase 

 in price which it secured for cotton during 1915 should satisfy any 

 farmer as to the importance of giving the very best care to the han- 

 dling of seed cotton. 



GINNING DURANGO COTTON. 



It has been difficult to impress upon the ginners in the Imperial 

 Valley the importance of ginning the Durango long-staple cotton 

 smoothly and free of neps. ; The importance of proper handling and 

 ginning of cotton, especially in long-staple districts, can not be over- 

 emphasized. A good staple produced from pure pedigreed seed, if 

 ginned green or damp or with gin saws running too fast, may be 

 damaged in value from $5 to $25 or more a bale. On the basis of 

 recent investigations by the Department of Agriculture the following 

 suggestions are offered : 



All cotton should be thoroughly dry before it is ginned. It is not 

 possible for the ginner to turn out from green or damp cotton a good, 

 smooth sample free from gin cutting and nepping. 



Gin manufacturers agree that a reasonable speed of the saw shaft 

 does not materially affect the quality of ginning, provided the brushes 

 remove the lint from the saw teeth. It has been shown, however, that 

 a proper speed is from 325 to 375 revolutions per minute on a 12-inch 

 saw and from 375 to 425 revolutions per minute on a 10-inch saw. 



Brushes should always be kept in the best condition and should 

 be set so that the bristles reach to the bottom of the saw teeth. 



The speed of the brush should be from 1,500 to 1,600 revolutions 

 per minute. Whenever possible a brush driven independently of the 



