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Andy Scamardo gives us a tour of his family
business.
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Cotton fields in the Brazos bottomland during harvest, Fall, 1997. The fields are sprayed with herbicide to defoliate the plants and reduce harvest contamination. |
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Modules of harvested cotton awaiting
transport
to the gin. Weight of the moduels varies according to farmer,
cultivar, etc., but average is 20,000 lbs (range 15-30k lbs).
These contain, by weight, about 35% lint, 50% seeds, and 15% 'trash'
(plant material). |
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Trucks with special conveyor-belt beds carry the modules to the feeder. |
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The feeder moves on rails across the building's floor as it breaks the modules into loose cotton. |
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The loose cotton moves along a conveyor-belt to a series of pipes which pull the cotton upward with heated air. |
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This tower heats the air to 200 degrees F. The air not only moves the cotton efficiently, but also begins the necessary process of moisture reduction. |
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The pipes move the cotton to the main building to be ginned. |
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The interior of the main building, with the pipes and the tops of the ginning machines (right) visible. The loose cotton first moves through a series of machines which continue the drying process and also clean the cotton by removing 'trash' (leaves and branches). |
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Andy Scamardo explains how the ginning machines' saws pull the cotton fibers off of the seeds and separate the two. |
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| Created 1998/07/17 | |
| Last Updated 2006/09/21 |
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