COTTON. 



171 



yards with a large wheel, to which handles are 

 fixed, and this is turned by two persons. The 

 rollers are so formed as to turn in opposite direc- 

 tions, so that as the cotton is thrust against them 

 with the hand, it is carried to the other side, but 

 the seeds remain, for the opening between the 

 rollers is not sufficiently broad to allow them to 

 pass. * The machine which is used in the British 

 colonies seems to be of the same construction in 

 the main, but it is still more simple, for the 

 rollers are made to turn by means of the feet of 

 the person who holds the cotton to them.t After 

 it has undergone the above process,some particles 

 of seeds which have been accidentally broken 

 still remain, and of other substances which must 

 be removed. For this purpose a heap of cotton 

 is made, and is beaten with large sticks ; this is 

 a most injurious operation, by which the fibre is 

 broken ; but as the value of the commodity to 

 the manufacturer chiefly depends upon the length 

 of the fibre, no trouble ought to be grudged to 

 avoid this practice. 



The seeds adhere M firmly to each other in 

 the pod." Mr. Edwards speaks of this species 

 in the British colonies, and gives to it the name 



* I have heard that the seeds would form a very good food 

 for cattle, if they could be completely freed from all parti- 

 cles of wool ; here lies the difficulty. 



f In Labat's time these machines were likewise worked by 

 :'r,( feet of the person who was employed in thrusting the 

 cotton against the rollers. 



