The Ginning Process

Seed cotton is harvested and packed into a module.

Modules are delivered by trucks.

Modules of seed cotton are broken down to the singular lock of lint, metered out at a rate suitable to capacity, and considering the condition of the seed cotton, whether it is trashy, clean, wet, or dry. Naturally, clean, dry cotton processes at the highest capacity.

A dryer is used to dry seed cotton to around 5 to 6 percent moisture.

It goes through a threshing process to remove larger trash.

Seed cotton is fed into the gin stand, and cottonseed is separated from the lint.

Flat circular saw blades remove the lint from the seed.

The seed is blown into barns where it is held for shipment to cottonseed buyers.

Lint is fed into cleaning machines that remove “motes.”

Motes are sold as low-grade cotton fiber because of their off-color appearance and short fiber.

The clean lint is pressed into 500-pound bales.

What’s left after the ginning process is called gin trash, mainly bits and pieces of the cotton and plants.