the process of baling is carried out. Thus there are collecting, ginning
and baling, as preliminary processes.

When the cotton arrives in bales at the mill (see Fig. 10), in which it
is to be cleaned, opened and spun, it is first weighed and a record
kept.

In the mill the first real operation is the taking of quantities of
cotton from different bales of cotton from various countries, or
different grades from the same country, and "mixing" so as to secure a
greater uniformity in the quality of the yarn produced. In this process
it is now the common practice to use a machine termed the "Bale
Breaker," or "Cotton Puller."

The second important process carried out in the mill is "opening." By
this the matted masses of cotton fibres are to a great extent opened
out, and a large percentage of the heavy impurities, such as sand,
shell, and leaf, fall out by their own weight. It is now also usual at
this stage to form the cotton into a large roll or sheet called the
"lap."

Immediately following the "opening" comes "scutching," which is merely a
continuation of the work performed by the "opener," but done in such a
way that greater attention is bestowed upon the production of an even
sheet or "lap" of cotton.

The cotton at this stage is practically in the same condition as it was
when first gathered from the tree in the plantation.

=Carding= comes next in order, and it should be observed that this is one
of the most beautiful and instructive operations carried on in the
mill.

The process of opening out the cotton is continued in this operation to
such an extent that the fibres are practically _individually separated_,
and while in this condition very fine impurities are removed, and many
of the short and unripe fibres which are always more or less present are
removed. Before leaving the machine the fibres are gathered together
again in a most wonderful manner and converted into a "sliver," which
for all the world looks like a rope of cotton, a little less than an
inch in diameter.

In most mills "drawing" succeeds "carding," this operation having for
its object (1) the doubling together of four to eight slivers from the
card and attenuating them to the dimension of one so as to secure
greater uniformity in diameter. (2) The reduction of the crossed and
entangled fibres from the card into parallel or side by side order.

After "drawing," the cotton is brought to and sent through a series of
machines termed "B