Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-11
COTTON SEED OF.
4 New American Producs-It~ DevrIou-
mcnt and Saiue-Better thaa Bustee
for Cooking Purposes

The vast din renee between the old ante-beliun
south and the south OF to-day cannot be more
forcibly illustrated than by the one industry OF
COTTON Seed OH manufacture. Prior 20 the rebel.
lion the cotton seed was virtually thrown away
That which was Dot used for feeding 20 cattle was
spread upon the ground, there 20 slowly rot for
tertilizng purposes To-day This seed, wasted be-
fore the war, yields q product which realizes
about
TEN MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY
Tho nrSt attempt 10 crush cotton seed ana ex-
tract oil and cake therefrom was made In 1884:
but after several experiments II was abandoned.
with heavy pecuniary loss 10 those who essayed tt
Again, In 1885, the project was renewed. but iuss
as II gave promise OF success the civil war broke
OUT, and put an end for the time being Co the en-
terprise IL was, however. resumed after the ne.
oeIlon, oy mills established I'm the north ana an
the business proved TO profit able it was taken
up In the south. The southern mills had such
great advantage over those OF the north In ben9
near TO the material used, that the latter had "a
Succumb, and for some years past all the business
OF crushing the seed has been conducted near the
The manufacture OF the Oil is a clear gain due to
the application or
SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND MECHANICAL SKILL;
for after the oil is extracted from the seed the nu
ultive properties for stock is still left ana that
portion valuable for fertillzing is si utilized for
that purpose. The seed Is crushed, the OIL ex-
tracted, and from the mass which is LETT "a pro.
duce1 meal having fixed market value as food
LOT ll.e STOCK and substance known as "caIe"
faiuabie Tor fertilizlng purposes stated above
HOW THE BUSINESS HAS GROWN
In 1870, according to the census there were In
the country 26 establishments crushing cotton.
seed. employing 664 hands, representing a capital
OF d,2s3, $50, paying s29s,0sa in wages using
$l,SSS,oSl worth OF material. and turning out q
product worth s., $40 annually.
In 1880 the census shows that the number ar
eStsblshments had Increased to Is, capital to
$3.50 800, hands employed to 3,3l9, annual wages
10 sSSoSSo na.efiais used TO o9i Isl, aud yearly
But since the statistics for the last ccnsus vera
spliected, and during the past two years, the In
dustry has grown wonderfully. There are now "a
mills In the country, all located in the cotton pro-
ducng localities, chiefly In Alabama, Mssissippi
Louisiana, Texas. Georgia, Tennessee and Arkan.
Sas. In North Carolina there is one min and In
South Carolina there are two. The statistics ren-
resenting tie capital actually invested at the
present ,ine, value OF product etc. have not been
years some OF the old mills have been enlarged
and improved and many new ones established t
is within bounds 10 estimate the capital now in.
at SIC, 10000.
WHAT rs DONE WITH rHR OIL
For time lucrative business was done in the
expectation OF cotton-seed OIL but about two yearu
ago foreign demand for II suddenly dropped OF to
remarkable degree, and since that period the ex.
port trade has been very light In 1870 the value
OF the cottonseed OIL export onlysa ea6 I'm rs7
II increased TO si4O,5aa In 1872, 5i7,i65 gallons
the export reached 200 SO gallons worth ks7oso6:
IN a. 1S2C61 gallons worth ST., 1927: in u.s. the
on ar lei 20 gallons worth ssl66iO; in '7e
lO5422 gallons, worth ss42 2is In 1873 the export
ran up TO 4ss2:si9 gallons, worth s2.5l4s23; next
year IL reached 5,352530 gallons, worth 81 pc $50:
In 80 the maximum was reached, being an exporf
OF s97 as6 gallons which sold for g. il4; but IN
1881 1t declined to 34i40e4 gallons worth a. ss "a
and last year 1t dropped again 10 $40 cations.
worth $3.50, go. This remarkable failing on at
tracted the attention OF the bureau OF sta
fruss
ascertain the cause OF so sudden a change
in commercial movements In response to a letter
the port whence the greater pprtIon Of the oil wa:
hpped writes TO the bureau OF statistics that thero
were TWO reasons for the decrease In the exporta-
ZION OF the OIL One Is the very large Increased
demand Tor home consumption: the other the
almost prohibitory duties imposed by the Italian
ana Spanish governments He adds, in his letter.
that large percentage OF the cotton-see oil en-.
ported 10 countries bordering on the Mediterranean
ocean came Dack TO this country labeled
PURE OLIVE OIL"
1t seems that the Italian and Spanish manufao.
lures OF olive oil discovered a good thing in the
American cotton-Seed OIL They would purchase
II and mix II with their production in equal pro.
portions, ana II Is said by those who have exam.
ined IL that but few even OF the best experts can
detect the difference between the pure olive oil
seed Oil
few years ago the Spanish market purchased
the puk or the cotton-seed oil made IN this coun-
t Wa stGnea by by The imposition Of
Then Italy became a large purchaser, taking
ABOUT two-thirds or the entire product; but the
itallan government soon Initiated the example set
Dy spain and laid on a prohibitory import duty
BY mis- action or these two governments the
foreign trade In the oil was seriously impaired
HOME DEMAND
Fortunately for the producers and manurao.
turers just as foreign demand declined their pro.
duct found market al home II was discovered
that refined cotton seed OIL is superior 70 the best
lard for culinary purposes and a domestic trade
has been maintained which Is profitable The
manufacturers have taken steps to protect pur.
cnasers Tor cooking purposes, 10y making separate
brands for such uses, properly and distinctly
labeled Collector Badger, OF New orleans, advises
however, mat the government should take steps
10 have the pr0hibitory duties or Spain and Italy
removed, In order that the manufacturer may
have the advantage OF both home and foreign
demand.