UTILIZATION OF PIMA COTTON. 15 
of hauling only a fraction of a wagonload is prohibitive. At the same time, 
the cotton left on the ground was subject to damage by exposure to heat, 
heavy dews, and rains. Seed cotton, loaded in wagons, was left standing 
in the fields, in barnyards, and at the gins. The cotton neglected in this 
manner was subject to damage by exposure, as it absorbed a certain amount 
of moisture and was ginned damp. Damp or wet cotton does not gin smoothly, 
but produces a curly and matted condition of the fiber, which lowers its grade 
and value. Unfortunately, the result was very marked in this case. In 
January, after a period of rainy weather which lasted several days, some of 
the cotton was so wet when ginned that the friction of the rollers against the 
knife edge heated the cotton greatly, thus subjecting it to undue damage. 
The curly condition due to the ginning of wet cotton was very noticeable 
after each rain. 
Doubtless the moisture applied at the gin and the quantity that 
may be absorbed when cotton is stored on the ground before com- 
pressing plays an important part in causing the cotton to maintain 
a rough, wadded appearance. One cotton specialist who has used 
much Pima fiber states, " I can tell practically every time by the 
odor of the cotton as to whether it is smooth or of the rough, 
tangled type by the peculiar musty odor." Some of this cotton 
examined by the writer had an odor similar to mildewed cotton, 
though no other signs of mildew were noticeable. 
Very often the cotton contains hulls or cut seed, immature seed, 
and seed from which the lint has not been ginned. These condi- 
tions were observed in samples at a warehouse, at a cotton broker's 
office, and at a manufacturer's office. The sample from the ware- 
house contained TO seeds from which the lint had not been ginned, 
half of which seeds have been ginned and are shown in Figure 1. 
To a manufacturer who had not used Pima cotton 48 samples 
were submitted, from which lot he was to select 25. Two samples 
in the returned lot of 23 contained hulls, seed, and seed cotton, all 
of which are very objectionable in manufacturing. The fact that 
the newly interested manufacturer forms the opinion that possibly 
the whole crop is handled in this careless manner is most injurious 
to the Pima cotton industry. 
Plate X shows a sample of Pima cotton just as it came from a 
mill that is using much of this variety for very fine yarns and 
fabrics. Xote the seed and hulls, as well as the rough, tangled 
appearance of the cotton. 
In the mill these seeds are often removed at the first machine, 
the picker, while others are crushed and broken into fine particles, 
which give the manufacturer much concern. To quote from the 
" question and answer " section of " Cotton," January, 1922, " Tak- 
ing up the third question — asking whether there is a remedy that 
will stop small particles of cotton seed and other foreign matter 
from lodging in the card flats— I want to say that there is no 
other evil in a cotton mill where an ounce of prevention is worth 
a pound of cure more than here." The writer then gives a possible 
remedy. But the "ounce of prevention" could be used at the gin 
to great advantage not only to the manufacturer but also to the 
growers in that a reputation for well-handled properly ginned cotton 
will be built up. If a community growing one variety of cotton is 
to find a profitable market from year to year, it must at all times 
keep the idea of quality before the people interested in the industry. 
