A spindle harvester was modified so that the open bolls on the top and bottom of the plants could be harvested separately or together. Four Midsouth varieties were harvested, ginned in the microgin and fiber quality analyses performed to determine differences between the "top," "bottom," and "total" crop. Variety differences were detected for nonlint content, UHM length, strength, elongation, micronaire and short fiber content. Differences were also detected in the "top," "bottom" and "total" crops with the "top" crop having the best overall quality parameters.