Every person, firm or corporation who gins cotton shall keep a book in which it shall register all cotton received at its gins to be ginned in the name of the owner thereof, if known, and, if not known, then the ginner shall make due and diligent inquiry of the person who delivers said cotton to be ginned and record in its book the name of the owner as given and the name of the person from whom the cotton may be received, which book shall also show the date of ginning and the gin number of such bale, which gin number shall continue consecutively for each bale ginned by any particular gin to the close of the season. Such register shall be kept open for the inspection of the public.
Ala. Code § 2-19-15 (1975)