MARKETING COTTON SEED FOR PLANTING PURPOSES. 9 
Labor cost, 2 men at $2.50 per day, daily $5; per ton $1.25 
Power cost, daily $6; per ton 1.50 
Dockage per ton, linters removed, 60 pounds; dirt, trash, 90 pounds; 
total 150 pounds at $40 per ton (value of the gin-run or undelinted 
seed 3.00 
Depreciation at 10 per cent, $350; per ton .70 
Interest on investment at 5 per cent, $175; per ton .35 
Total 6.80 
Less value of linters removed, 60 pounds at 3$ cents 2.10 
Net cost of delinting 1 ton of gin-run resulting in 1,850 pounds of de- 
linted seed 4. 70 
Net cost of delinting 100 pounds of delinted seed .254 
Net cost of delinting 1 ton of delinted seed 5. 08 
It should be understood that these figures are given only as an 
indicator of the approximate cost and of the factors which must be 
taken into consideration in determining the cost. The relative im- 
portance of these factors will vary from time to time. It will be 
noted that " dockage " appears to be the greatest item of cost. In 
addition to the linters removed there is always more or less loss in 
weight of the seed through the removal of dirt and trash by passing 
through the delinting machines. The total dockage must be charged 
for at the value of the " gin-run " or undelinted seed. In the example 
given this value is assumed to be $40 per ton. To reduce this heavy 
charge against dockage there are 60 pounds of linters to which are 
assigned a market value of 3J cents per pound, or $2.10. 
To offset further the loss of 150 pounds per ton dockage which has 
been charged to the cost of delinting there is the fact that the number 
of seed per pound increases in an equal or a greater proportion than 
the percentage of dockage. In this case the total dockage is 7.5 per 
cent, while the number of delinted seed per pound is approximately 
8 per cent greater than the number of gin-run seed. The greater 
number of seed per pound increases the commercial value and plant- 
ing capacity per unit. 
A plant of one-half this capacity may be installed at $700 to $1,000 
less. The net cost of delinting cotton seed in such a plant when 
operated 125 days per season is about $7.50 per ton, or approxi- 
mately 50 per cent greater than in the larger plant. The capacity of 
plant to be installed by a dealer will depend upon the volume of seed 
handled, keeping in mind the fact that 125 days is about the maximum 
season's length and that the output of the plant may be doubled by 
operating two shifts, or 20 hours. 
If a plant is installed and operated in connection with a ginnery, 
the cost of delinting is a few cents per ton less, chiefly because of the 
relatively smaller investment, which reduces slightly the interest and 
depreciation, all other factors remaining practically the same. If the 
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