ENGINEERING AND GINNING Historical Review on the Effect of Moisture Content and the Addition of Moisture to Seed Cotton before Ginning on Fiber Length

Seed cotton drying equipment was first used in the U. S. during the 1940s. Problems with fiber length associated with excessive drying were ob-served almost immediately. At first, high drying temperatures were blamed for the damage, but later it appeared that the fiber moisture content was the more important factor. Increased drying consistently improved grade, mostly due to the improved cleaning efficiency, and the negative im-pact on fiber length was less consistently observed. Staple, the fiber length measurement used in pric-ing, was often, but not always, improved when ginning at higher moisture content. Significantly lower yarn strength often resulted from cotto