The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-03-13
of oil the smaller that of starch and

of oil the smaller that of starch and
sugar, and vice versa. ~ u..- IL.
Among oil-bearing seeds, the use
fulness and commercial value Of the
oil from the seed Of the cotton plant
has only recently come into general
notice. The oil from the seed of the
cotton plants of India and Egypt has
long been used for fertiizing, and to
some extent as feed for cattle. But
the market value Of oil for such pur-
poses is so small that the cotton seed
oil of the Old World never made
much of figure in commerce. 1t is
the oil of the American cotton plant
only that has been utilized rs whole
some, nutritious and palatable addition
to the food products of the world.
For every bale of cotton produced by
the American planter there are 1000
pounds of cotton seed, which, until a
few years ago, was considered an in
sufferable nuisance; the planter was
puzzled how to get rid of this surplus
in the easiest manner. Our present
annual crop of 100000 bales of cot
ton means also 100000 tons of
seed. Now, thanks to the discovery
of the merits of American cotton seed
oil, and thanks to the many mills scat
tered throughout the cotton States,
what was once the cause of serious
annoyance has become a source of
actual revenue to the planter and of
employment to thousands of laborers
Under the old fashioned system of
trading in the South-a system that
bids fair to outlive the present genera
tion-the planters cotton crop belongs
to his factor when it is picked. The
cotton crop is mortgaged in advance
for family supplies called "store
truck" So long as this system con-
tinues we may safely say that the only
cash the planter receives when the
crop is harvested is the cash he re-
ceives for his cotton seed under the
new order of things. His cotton crop
goes to pay his debts; his crop of cot
ton seed yields him cash for taxes and
for pocket money. Two million tons
of seed marketed at SIS per ton means
$3O,OOO,OO0 added to the value of the
agricultural products of this nation.
The cotton seeds are regular little
nuts, having an ellipsoid form. Their
length is about one-quarter of an inch,
their diameter about an eighth of an
inch. The weight and size vary in
different localities Seeds in some
portions of Alabama average in weight
.O9 of grain each, while in some
parts of Texas seeds will average as
much as IL of grain, or one-third
heavier. The outer covering, or hull,
of the seed is about as hard as the
shell of a chestnut, and in the Sea
Island seed it is about as smooth, be-
ing dark brown or black in color In
all other localities, except the Sea
Island region, the average seed is
covered with a fine down, or lint,
which adheres closely to the hull after
the cotton has been ginned. The color
of this lint is pure white in the low
land cotton tract, green in the upland,
and also varies in color through all the
shades between these two, being often
almost yellow. Cutting open the hull
the kernel or meat is exposed, and
easily drops out if the seed is dry. 1t
is white, and has sweet, nutty favor.
The cause of this flavor is apparent
upon examining a section with lens;
the seed is found to be full of little
dots, which are either yellow, red,
brown or black, according to the
locality and soil whence the seed has
been derivered. These dots are cells,
and contain a peculiar coloring matter
which is soluble in oil, and gives to
the crude oil it's characteristic color.
The percentages of meats and hulls
vary in different localities, the average
being about 55 per cent. meat and As
per cent. hulls. The composition of
the meats is quite variable; some
localities show large percentages of
oil; others show less oil and larger
amounts of nitrogenous matter or
albuminoids. This is shown in the
following analysis of meats taken
from quite different localities:
Vi az q SaSo
The average meat will contain about
35 per cent. of oil, which is equivalent
to about fifty gallons per ton. The