Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-05-20
Cotton Possibilities.
"Cotton is king.p This was asserted


Cotton is king This was asserted
twenty wears ago, but the assertion he'd
no foundation in truth, i'm 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
grown 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 nj
the centers of distribution. and how much
is sold and exported. Great pains are
taken to get of. the exact facts regarding
the supply and consumption of this great
staple. As gentleman once expressed
IL, a cotton statistician would chase
single bale all over the country to sec
what finally became of IL.
The figures that express the growth
and use Of cotton are astounding. The
best authorities place the production an
nually at from forty-five 10 fifty-five hum
dred million pounds, or from two and
one-quarter to two and thrce-quarters
million tons. There is no surplus. What
is produced Is all used from year TO year.
Mankind uses an average OF fully three
pounds of raw cotton every year for ev-
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
to 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-half n bale to
an acre. The highest estimate Of the
worlds crop is $4,000, 900 bales, Of $50
pounds each. An area Of 2I.O0O,OO0
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. IL corre-
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 worldP
Between six and seven million tons!
The uses of cotton seed are many, and
yet 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. IL
is more than suspected that large part
of the "pure olive oir' from Leghorn is
either pure cotton seed oil, or n 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 IL forms the
best known feed for cattle. and no better
fertilizer is known than the manure OF
cattle fed upon II. The hulls OF the cot
ton seed have usually been thrown away,
but now it is known that they are rs good
for feed as the seed itself.
We are just beginning 20 use economy
in the cultivation of cotton, and In tho
use of the other products Of the plant.
The production of cotton Is increasing
from year to year. The crop of 1879
was the largest ever gathered. But the
consumption of the staple Is also in
creasing.
In the United States we consume more
than thirteen pounds Of raw cotton n
year for every person In the country.
The average amount for each person In
Europe is only four and half pounds;
i'm Asia, about three pounds; in Africa,
less than one-third of pound. As en-
lightened civilization extends and wealth
increases, the consumption of this article
of trade must also grow; and II Is the
mission of America to supply IL 10 the
whole world Youths Companion.