The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-05-13
Cotton Possibilities.

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twenty years ago, but the assertion had
no foundation in truth, in the sense its
authors intended. Nevertheless, both
before and since that period, cotton was
and is the largest item in the list of eX-
ports from this country to foreign coun-
tries. One-half of the entire crop OF the
understandable cotton Of the world Is
crown in the United States.
The cotton trade is watched more close
" than any other. There are daily re-
ports of the amount of cotton received at
the centers of distribution, and how much
is sold and exported. Great pains are
taken to get at the exact facts regarding
the supply and consumption OF this great
staple As a gentleman once expressed
1t. cotton StatiStician would chase
single bale all over the country to see
what finally became of it.
The figures that express the growth
and use of cotton are astounding. The
best authorities place the production an
nuallv at from forty-five to fifty-tive hun
dred million pounds, or from two and
one-uuarter to two and three-quarters
million tons. There is no surplus. What
is produced is all used from year toyear.
Mankind uses an average of fully three
pounds of raw cotton every year for eY-
cry man. woman and child on the face of
the globe.
When. however we inquire how much
land is needed to raise this vast crop,
the reader will be surprised when we say
that there is land enough exactly suited
70 the production of cotton, in the State
of Texas alone, to supply the whole
world. The average production OF cot
ton in Texas is about One-haf a bale to
an acre. The highest estimate of the
worlds crop is $4,000, 900 bales, OF $50
pounds each. An area of 24,GOO,OOO
acres is therefore all that is needed, and
that is but 81 800 square miles. The
area of Texas is more than seven times
that number of miles, and the part that
could be profitably devoted to cotton
growing, is many times greater in size
than would be required.
The cotton that is used for manufact-
ure is the wing of the seed. 1t CORE
spends to the light filament that carries
! the seed of the thistle, that pest Of the
/ farmer. There are about two and half
pounds of seed to every one pound OF
/ cotton fibre. How much cotton seed,
then, is raised every year in the world!
Between six and seven million tons!
The uses of cotton seed are many, and
vet it is only lately that the great value
of the article has been recognized. When
pressed. the kernels will yield about one
eighth of their weight in oil, which can
be used for many purposes. Indeed, II
is more than suspected that a large part
of the "pure olive OIL from Leghorn Is
either pure cotton-seed oil, or mixture
of cotton seed and other oils.
What is left after the oil is expressed
is "seed cake This is sent in vast
quantities to Europe, where it forms the
best known feed for cattle, and no better
fertilizer is known than the manure o.
cattle fed upon it. The hulls of the cot
ton seed have usually been thrown away
hut now it is known that they are as gooC
for feed as the seed itself.
We are Just beginning to use economy
in the cultivation of cotton, and In The
use of The other products OF the plant
The production of cotton is increasing
from year to year. The crop OF loE
was the largest ever gathered. But thu
consumption of the staple is also IN
creasing.
In the United States we consume NOR
than thirteen pounds of raw cotton
year for every person in the country
The average amount for each person Il
Europe is only four and half pounds
I'M Asia, about three pounds; in Africa
less than one-third of a pound. As en-
, Hghtened civilization extends and wealtI
increases, the consumption of this articl
, of trade must also grow; and 1t Is th
mission of America to supply it to tn
/ whole world. - Youth Companion.