A carding machine includes a main carding cylinder having a cylinder surface carrying a cylinder clothing thereon; a licker-in cooperating with the cylinder for transferring fiber material, including long and short fibers, from the licker-in to the carding cylinder; a doffer cooperating with the carding cylinder for transferring fiber material from the carding cylinder to the doffer; a cylinder cover extending circumferentially underneath the carding cylinder between the licker-in and the doffer; a force-exerting arrangement for applying, to the short fibers, a removing force greater than a retaining force exerted on the short fibers by the cylinder clothing carrying the fiber material; a waste outlet opening provided in the cylinder cover for discharging short fibers from the fiber material carried by the cylinder clothing; a suction hood coupled to the waste outlet opening for receiving the short fibers from the waste outlet opening.