Three cotton varieties were grown under furrow-irrigated conditions in southern New Mexico and hand-harvested so that individual bolls remained intact. The cotton bolls were conditioned in a controlled atmosphere and then subjected to a single cotton picker spindle operating at a speed of 1000 to 3000 rpm. Two spindle designs were studied: a 12.7-mm (-in.) round, tapered, barbed spindle and a 4.8-mm (3/16-in.) square spindle that was straight and smooth. Mass measurements were taken to determine the portion of seed cotton not picked and the portion that would be ejected from the spindle (fly-off). A force gauge was used to determine the peak force that was needed to pull the seed cotton from the spindle. Moisture content of the bolls used in the test ranged from 9% to 10% d.b. Results showed that the smaller, straight spindle was more aggressive in removing cotton from the boll. There was approximately twice as much fly-off from the barbed spindle than from the smaller straight spindle at any given speed. Fly-off also increased exponentially for each spindle type as the speed was increased. The peak force required to remove the seed cotton from the spindle ranged from 50% to 100% more for the smaller straight spindle than from the barbed spindle. For both spindles, the peak force requirement was approximately doubled each time the speed was increased by 1000 rpm, indicating an exponential relationship between speed and wrap tightness. Additionally, field tests were conducted for the 2005 and 2006 crop years by the USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory in Mesilla Park, New Mexico.