16 BULLETIN 1219, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
COST OF DELINTING AND RECLEANING. 
The cost of delinting and the factors which must be taken into 
consideration in determining the cost were discussed in United States 
Department of Agriculture Bulletin 1056. In the example given in 
that discussion it was shown that, in a 2-unit delinting plant, the 
factors of labor, power, depreciation in the machinery, and interest 
on the investment amounted to only $3.80 for delinting 1 ton of ginned 
seed. The cost of recleaning is even smaller because less labor is 
required and the investment is only one-tenth to one-fifth as large. A 
recleaning machine of sufficient capacity to take care of the output of a 
2-unit delinting plant and to insure efficient results may be purchased 
and installed, with conveyers necessary for economy of operation, for 
$250 to $650. (See fig. 7). When so installed in a 2-unit delinting 
plant the total gross cost of both delinting and recleaning should not 
exceed $5 per ton of ginned seed. This figure includes the cost of 
labor and power, interest on investment, and depreciation, but it does 
not cover the loss from shrinkage and no allowance is made for the 
value of the linters and culled seed. 
The cost of recleaned seed per ton as a basis for determining the 
selling price may be computed by adding the cost of delinting and 
recleaning to the original cost of the ginned seed, deducting the mar- 
ket value of the linters and culled seed, multiplying the remainder by 
2,000, and dividing the product by the number of pounds of recleaned 
seed obtained from a ton. For example : 
Cost of ginned seed per ton $40.00 
Cost of delinting and recleaning 5. 00 
Total 45.00 
Less the value of dockage : 
140 pounds linters at $0.03 per pound 4.20 
80 pounds culled seed at $30 per ton 1.20 
80 pounds inert matter (no value) . 
Total 5.40 
Net cost of 1,700 pounds of delinted and recleaned seed resulting from 1 ton of 
ginned seed 39. 60 
(39 60 X 2 000 
Net cost per ton of delinted and recleaned seed - — -. „' ) . 46.59 
In this example, if ginned cottonseed cost, or is valued at, $40 per 
ton, delinted and recleaned seed from the same lot would cost $46.59 
per ton and an increase of $6.59 per ton in the selling price over that 
originally charged for ginned seed would be necessary if the same 
margin of profit is to be obtained. This is equivalent to 33 cents per 
100 pounds or about 10 cents per bushel of 30 pounds. Any reduc- 
tion in the quantity of inert matter removed or increase in the price of 
linters lowers the net cost of delinting and recleaning proportionately. 
All of the factors affecting the cost oi these operations may vary from 
year to year or under different conditions and this example, represent- 
ing the cost under average conditions, is given for the purpose of 
illustrating how the cost may be determined. In any case, the cost 
is offset further by the increased number of good seeds per ton and the 
consequent greater planting capacity. 
The reduced cost of hauling and freight is an important factor in the 
comparative cost of recleaned delinted cottonseed to the farmer. 
When 1,700 pounds of recleaned delinted seed contains the same 
number of good seeds as 2,000 pounds, or a ton, of ginned seed the 
