[Richard Kimball]

We had to pick the cotton out of the boll and those bolls would prick your fingers or at least irritate them after they had opened and dried.

Yeah, those bolls get hard as a pecan shell and stick right in the cuticle or under the finger nail when you try to pluck the cotton out. Fortunately, hardly anyone picks cotton by hand anymore.

[yarddog]

This thread brings back a lot of memories. Back in the 50’s my Daddy had quit farming and was working at Eglin AFB, but our Uncle Buck grew a lot of cotton and I was glad of the chance to make money.

It really was hard work tho. I remember the first trip to the cotton gin in Geneva, Alabama which is just across the state line. Uncle Buck paid us in cash and the first thing I bought with my money was a monopoly set.