West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-04-09
COTTON-SEED MEAL.
Tho Best and Most Economical Fertilizer
for Southern Farmers

Tho Best and Most Economical Fertilizer
for Southern Farmers.
Cotton-seed meal is coming into gem
eral use among the farmers of the
South, for fertilizing purposes, as they
learn 1t is more effective manure
than the whole seed. 1t used to be the
custom to apply it alone TO such crops
as corn and cotton; but of late yeara il
has become generally known that its
effects are obtained most advanta-
geously when it is mixed with kainit
and acid phosphate.
The meal contains nearly per cent.
OF ammonia. but only p of phosphoric
acid and ~ of potash, and therefore
when acid phosphate, which contains
l3@ per cent. of phosphoric acid. and
KANT with ~ per cent. of potash are
added, 1t VIII be seen that very pow
erful compound is formed. The usual
proportions are 1000 pounds of the
meal, 800 pounds of the acid phosphate
and 900 pounds of kainit; and when
mixed together the total cost of the
mixture will be about S22 per ton.
1t must be borne i'm mind that the
three chemical ingredients named are
those that are especially valuable to
crops, and must be contained i'm all
manures that pretend to contain the
requirements of plants. And the cN-
pericnce of cotton farmers has demon
strated that none of the guanos that
are sold for even much higher prices
can approach this compound i'm effect
i've value
The addition of a ton of stable manure
forms, with the other three ingredients.
the very best compost known in the
South. This compost, which is practi-
cally what is known elsewhere a. eur
mans formula has been i'm use i'm
South Carolina since 1877, but has been
known in Georgia and the other States
during the past five years only. 1t is
simply in accordance with common
sense to mix together, i'm due prophr-
tons, the materials that contain the
elements needed by crops and il is
what any farmer can do for himself.
The meal is more valuable for man
ure than the whole seed. because il is
more Immediately available to the
plants, and contains larger pcr-
centage of fertilizing matter i'm proper.
ton to the bulk When the whole seed
is used, a considerable portion Of il
does not rot, but dries and shrivcls, ot
rots so slowly that the growing crop
fails 10 benefit by IT, And i'm all cases
the oil in the seed retards the rottino
greatly; while this oil has IN itself NO
manurial value whatever. but only rep.
rescnts 20 much value wasted when the
whole seed is used
In a ton of seed about g. bushels
there are about 81 gallons Of oil. worth
30 cents per gallon and therefore
where whole seed is used about 1922
actual value is thrown away: beside.
which, one ton Of the whole seed il
really not as effective as the 300 pound.
of meal that could be obtained from It,
Accurately one ton Of whole seed ha,
an effective mauurial value TO the sol
Of $3.50 while the 800 pounds Of mca
that it contains has an effective value
Of S23
Many Of the oil mills, and there are
1876 Of them ~ the South. offer 40 eN
change with farmers one ton Of mca
for two tons Of whole cotton seed. and
10 pay the transportation both ways
| Wherever this can be- done 10 is q yer,
advantageous arrangement for the
farmers But 10 Is a suicidal policy fol
them 20 sell their seed outright TO the
mills; for very few of them will cvm
buy back the meal. and their lands viii
be permanently impoverished. II thel
will persist IN selling their seed the,
should M least realize that even ia it'
whole state &c has an effective value .,
ihe coil Of fully thirty cents per bushol
anil when they are induced 20 par
with u ioT q Tess price, they are !m
posrd upon Germ and Hemfac4i