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March 6, 2013 www.DesertMessenger.com Quirky Quartzsite���s Perspectives OPINION taking pictures: Tammy and Dick from Parker and Contributed by Violet Kiss our Billie from the Library. I look ridiculous chasing down ���AJ���, our rep, trying to keep up Field Trip to a Cotton Gin with him as I fumble with my recordI hope you enjoy taking a little ���eld er. He brings us down to the motor trip with me, the rest of my classroom all running at full volume. Oh, mates from the Master Gardening yes, those ear plugs came in handy! Class, and others who wanted come CRIT-Gin has brought in advanced along. Last Wednesday, February 20, technology machines in the last 18 2013, was our last class and (ahem) months. Everything was done manugraduation day. Lyle Browning, the ally before this. Where it took 16 men Head Instructor of the ASU Agriculto handle making square bales, it now tural Extension Of���ce led us on this takes 1 man to handle the automation ���eld trip. We all met at the Parker of creating much larger round bales. AWC at noon sharp, and I mean 12 The cotton comes in from the harsharp. Lyle lets you know the ���train vested ���elds in large round bales and is gone��� at 12:01! The car caravan is released into the feeders. Two men of 12 people now heads south down strip the plastic form the round bales Mohave Road for close to �� an hour and push them onto the automatic to the Colorado River Indian Tribes feeders. The feeders separate some of (CRIT)-Gin Mill. We all get out, enthe seeds. After this, the rest heads ter the of���ces and await our represen- into the trash and lint cleaner. These tative of the company. automated machines were bought ���AJ��� Fisher comes in smiling, 2 years ago and already have paid greets us and supplies us with ear for themselves saving time and with plugs and face masks. Yes, they will fewer employees. Cotton bales are be needed. So now with our ���fancy��� created within every 45 seconds and gear we head into the factory. Several at 98-99% accuracy. of us laugh as we see each other tryFrom the feeders we go to the gin ing to put in the soft foam ear plugs stands. These automated machines (you had to see this) and no sooner rip the seeds from the lint (cotton) than getting them in, they were popusing very high pressure fans and ping out. Walking, walking, we���re in suction. Using fans make the least the factory now. Several people are amount of damage to cotton as NOW with Arizona Licensed Massage Therapist Jeff Munoz 928-575-6733 Quartzsite Chiropractic ES GIFT CERTIFICAT available Dr. Michael Cole, D.C. Providing Chiropractic Care to Quartzsite! 25 $ Adjustments NEW LOCATION at Quartzsite Medical Center Just west of Carl���s Jr. on W. Main St. Hours: FRI. 9am-1pm & 2:30pm-5pm ��� SAT. 9-11am For more information call Dr. Michael Cole, D.C. 928-533-4588 Page 19 possible. Then the lint is pressed and compacted tightly into 100 pound bales, strapped and shipped. The cotton seed is funneled to outside piles, while the gin trash heads out to large containers. Let���s look at the 3 parts of cotton: the lint, the cotton seed and the gin trash. The separated lint is what the Growers sell to make their pro���ts. Some of the largest growers in Arizona & California are in Ehrenburg and Calcot, Calif. CRIT-Gin processes their yield and then ship out the ���lint��� (cotton) to the Growers��� customers. They get paid for the processing. Calcot, for example, sells everywhere, even all the way to New Zealand. The cotton seed is sold to Dairies and Heifer Farms for Angus. This is where the CRIT makes their pro���ts for their Cotton Gin. CRIT sells the separated seed by the TON, literally. The heavier the seed is the better pro���ts. It takes about 19 round bales to make a 100 ton cab. As mentioned earlier, Gin Trash goes outside to other bins. CRIT sells the trash also to Dairies for them to use as ���bedding���. Cows like to roll around and lie in the dirt. Cows do not eat the trash; they eat the seeds as said before. But, this gin trash is very good for gardening nourishing our sandy soil and lasts for many years. Thank you, AJ, for letting us visit a new and wonderful side of our La Paz County! QUARTZSITE GOLD & HISTORY ATLAS!! Volume 1: Northern Dome Rock Mountains The history, geology, and gold deposits, from old La Paz to Quartzsite. Historical photographs and documents, two oversize color maps, 284 pages. Photos of gold from every major placer and lode mine shown on 60 pages of color. Assay results for load deposits, and placer grade estimates. Nugget shooters and history buffs alike will find this atlas an invaluable reference. 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