The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-07-17
T1e farm a1d Gardel1.
From the Southern CuLtiuator.
Cotton-Seed as a Source of Fertil-
sitV

In the April number of the Cultauator,
an enquirer asks the questions "6uppose
man has one thousand bushels of cotton
seed, in what way would they most bsne,
fit his crop, put out as cotton SEED, OF 1ed
to hogs put up in covered pen and kept
supplied with straw and leaves !? Would
he not oct the full benefit of his seed and
manure, and several thousand pounds OF
pork besides, to pay for the trouble OF
cooking the seed, hauling in the trash, ana
hauling out the more bulky manure 2?
There can be no question that cotton
seed is more valuable as food for hogs,
cattle and sheep, saving their droppines
properly, than for manure applied direct
! ly to the field AT the same time, the best
way to prepare and feed cotton seed, with
view to utilize all of its nutritive and
and fattening properties, is matter that
deserves discussion. This seed contains
an excess of oil as compared with its flesh
forming principles Oil is nearly value
less as fertilizer, but very valuable, right
ly used, for making fat bacon, beef and
mutton. 1t is, however, not unlikely,
that expressed and sold for other purposes,
IT may be worth more than for feeding
farm stock By hulling seed and express
ing the oil, more concentrated article of
food, or fertilizer that may be drilled in
with machine, can be obtained The hull
has little value, either as food or manure.
Every planter has not hulling machine,
nor is there an oil press near by to pre-
pare cotton seed in the best manner. I'm
til these advantages a"e within his reach,
he must study and practice the. art OF pro
ducing something like a pound Of fat ha-
con for every pound OF cotton seed oil at
his command This result can only be
achieved by giving to the business of pro-
ducing meat and fertility on the plantation
far more attention than is now generally
done. Hoping to do good, and wishing
not to give offence, / remark, that the
capital, industry and talent Of the South,
has been too. much devoted to the work of
wearing out the primitive trrittulness OF
the soil, steadily enlalgi the arena i'll
tenceless old fields, and constantly turning
cold shoulder to eve~y science, art and
practice that aims to increase the elements
of crops in all lands under fence or cultiva
tion. Twenty years ago this pen urged
the readers OF the Southern Chltlcdtor,
through its editorial columns,to unite sound
stock .husbandry with legitimate planting.
as the best way to accumulate the essen
tial constituents OF cotton, grain and grass
IN the most needy soils. The careful study
and observation of two decades, aided by
some practice, have confirmed tie opinion
that it is alike practical and profitable to
cover the present geperalnakednesS fthe
land with nutritious recuperative herbage,
and soon obliterate all gldlies and CALLED
places. How grass and thick, uhctnous
greensward rapidly and certainly impart
truitfulness TO ground that was once poor
and naked, will not stop to point out.
If grass did OF, in the perfect economy OF
Infinite Wisdom, draw the clements Of
rich manure from water. earth and air,
it would be impossible for farm stock to
form their bones, flesh and nerves from
grass; for these are r,ilizers of known
. power and value Ii we can make grass
grow on our old and new fields, we have
at once the raw material for an almost un
limited supply of grain, provisions, wool
and cotton, simply because, from grass we
can easily extract the most concentrated
and effective manures, and with these raise
cotton seed SO pfentitully that every farm
er NAV have ''thousand bushels" 1t is
assuming good deal to assume that guam
tity as common at this time OH plantations.
By raising cotton seed with reference i'll
part to its value for feeding purposes and
as a fertilizer, there will be more clear
profit on the lint, and a benefit done to
the farm in place Of an injury. Such plant
ing will pay as permanent operation.
Oats and peas abound in fesh-forming
substances, in which cotton seed is def
cient. Hence, if farmer were to bois so
pounds of cotton seed, so pounds of peas,
and so pounds Of oats together for hogs,
the compound, well mixed, would be more
economical and profitable food than $50
pounds of either boiled and fed alone (;
while the nanure would be improved in
quality by the combination. Compared
wish cotton, oats and peas are easily rails.
ed, and their straw, properly cured and
housed, are valuable in raising farm stock.
Suppose a farmer has piece Of low ground
where water accurrulates more OF less
from higher lands and evaporates. BY this
evaporation, it unavoidably leaves agri-
cultural salts behind, which 1t held in So
luton. This surface, planted partly in ect-
ton and partly in corn, peas and oats,
would yield up its agricultural salts to these
growing crops. Their seeds, in the mass,
would contain not little of the most fer
tilizing atoms known to science and farm
practice. They will, therefore, make, if
duly husbanded and applied, any common
poor upland yield remunerating crops of
wheat, clover, cotton, timothy OF corn.
Now, it would be bad economy to apply
grain and cotton seed directly to this poor
upland as manure, but let the farmer cook
these seeds properly and extract what meat
he can, and carefully apply the large resi-