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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1836 Excerpt:...Carolina, "but at last most of the growers of Sea-island cotton have returned to their first and most simple tool,--viz., two wooden rollers, kept together by a wooden frame, and inserted into iron cranks, having a round journal, and a square shaft, upon which is fixed a wooden or iron fly wheel from two to three feet in diameter. The iron cranks which turn the rollers are connected by strips of wood with a treadle worked by the foot. This treadle runs under the machine, and is connected at the further end to the floor of the house (like the treadle of a turning-lathe) by sockets within which it moves. The man stands therefore in front of the rollers, with a board interposed, upon which be holds a large handful of Sea-island cotton, which he presents from time to time to the rollers kept revolving by the action of the foot upon the treadle. This labour becomes easy from habit, as the feet may be changed in the operation. The task expected from the labourer upon this machine is from twenty-five to thirty pounds weight of cotton per day. The gin itself costs when new and complete ten American dollars. Women are reckoned the best ginners, as they are more careful to keep the rollers supplied with wool in the act of revolution, but they were found to injure their constitution, and they have been replaced generally by men. As it is a light indoor winter work, it is much sought after by them. "What is a little surprising," says Mr. Spalding, "this foot-gin which we received from the West Indies, is mentioned, if I mistake not, in the remains of Nearchus's voyage down the Indus, as employed in these countries for separating the seed from the wool." The seed cotton is prepared for the ginning by careful inspection and sorting, in which the...