The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1883-12-15
COTTON SEED.

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College of Mississippi, was one of
the most valuable documents read
before the Planters Convention at
Nieksburg. He gives the follow.
ing under the heading:
COTTON SEED AS A F.RILIZEK.
BY law we are required to ana
lyze and atiix to each commercial
fertilizer sold in this State its rel.
ative value. In doing this we take
three of the most important com.
pounds in fertilizers, namely, am.
monia or nitrogen, potash tx 2, o.)
and phosphorie acid P2 o 81 as the
basis of our valuation.
Upon careful inquiry il was
found that in this State the sub.
stances in the market have, during
1882 and 1888, about the following
valne, which has been adopted in
estimating the value of the com.
mercial fertilizers Nitrogen 25
cents per pound; phosphoric acid
II! cents; potash @ cents per
pound. Our estimation Of the
value as a fertilizer of cotton seed
and its products are based upon
these figures. Cotton seed &c.
cording to this is worth, by VOLTS
average of analysys, sl6.S6.
We mean by this that at the
prices which farmers are paying
for commercial fertilizers, the cot.
ton seed is worth to them, simply
as a fertilizer, sl6.SG per ton, or %
cents per bushel. If they can get
commercial fertilizers for less than
those figures, then the cotton seed
ID worth corvespondingly less.
But il they sell it for less than its
value as a fertilizer, they are prac.
ticing the Same economy as the
shoemaker who sells q pair of
shoes for s2 that cost him s3 to
make.
am fully aware that very few
Of tho farmers obtain more than
20 cents per bushel, or sl2 per ton,
for their seed, and | doubt very
much If the mill men can afford to
pay % cents per bushel for seed
so long as their products arc 30
cheap. We must therefore con.
clude that the price demanded for
commercial fertilizers in this State
are too high. If fertilizers cannot
be had for less money, the oil mills
mu,tpay their priec,or the farmers
should keep the seed to be used
az q fertilizer.
As usually applied the farmer
los-s nearly half Of the value of
the cotton seed for q fertilizer.
In order to obtain its full value
for this purpose, where it cannot
be fed to stock it should be com.
posted and thoroughly rottod be-
fore applied. 1t will take the com
post heap long time to decom-
pose 30 completely that the whole
of its value il available.
Cotton seed at 50 por ton is the
cheapest fertilizers in the market,
aud cotton seed meal at $40 per
ton is the next cheapest aud also
one of the best fertilizers in the
market. All of the fatty matter
and carbohydrates in the cotton
seed are of little or no value rs
fertilizers. The oil of the seed
may be abstracted without in the
loast injuring itA value for this
purpose. In addition the seed is
crushed and reduced to fine
state,so as to be more easily ap. |
piled directly to the plant. The
same valuation which makes cot.
ton seed tl6.S6 per ton, makes
cotton seed meal worth s42.18: |
the analysis of the meal giving
6.56 per cent. nitrogen, 2.95 phos.
phoric acid, aud 2.l0 per cent. pot
ash. 1t will be noticed that a ton
of tho meal as fertilizer is worth
about two and half times as
much as a ton of the seed. This
being the fact that oil mills some.
times propose to givc the farmer
$50 pounds of cotton seed meal
for ton of cotton seed. The ar
is this: Cotton seed meal
is worth more as a fertilizer and
feed stuff than is the Gotten seed.
A ton of seed produces upon the
average 7J0 pounds Of meal. We
return to you the full
value of your seed, and at the
same time give you a better arti-
Gle, as is shown by chemical anal.
ysis. BY this means you will as.
sist us in our business, and at the
same time benefit yourselves, By
getting as much as you gave in
better condition. Let us see. Did
I understand you to say that this
statement is based upon chemical
If so, you have made
wrong Interpretation of the analy.
sis. The farmer gave you, Mr..
Oil Mill Agent, seed worth sl6.s6.
You returned to him cotton seed