For the black-seed or sea-island cotton, the churka, or roller gin, used in India from time immemorial, drawing the fiber slowly between a pair of rollers to push out the seeds, did the work imperfectly, but this churka was entirely useless for the green-seed variety, the fiber of which clung closely to the seed and would yield only to human hands.

The quickest and most skillful pair of hands could separate only a pound or two of lint from its three pounds of seeds in an ordinary working day.

Usually the task was taken up at the end of the day, when the other work was done.

The slaves sat round an overseer who shook the dozing and nudged the slow.

It was also the regular task for a rainy day.