The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-07-04
Cotton Seed HulIs and Water.

To the Editor of the Ncaps and Courier
While in Ro me, Ga., last March saw
something that was revelation to me.
Mr.. Arthur Sullivan, of the firm of
Towers e. Sullivan, showed me in one
enclosure about seventy beeves generally
old work oxen that had been fattened
on cotton seed hulls alone. No corn, no
fodder, hay or shucks, nothing but cotton
seed hulls as they came from the huller
ofa seed oil factory just across the street,
and many of these oxen we're 30 fat that
they would not stand up except to eat, as
fat and fine as any ever saw come off
the mosquito grass of Western Texas.
Around three sides of this enclosure were
covered sheds containing troughs filled
with hulls from which the beeves fed, and
the fourth side contained similar troughs
constantly filled with pure water, to which
they had constant access. This was all,
cotton seed bulls and water.
Subsequently, I met gentleman living
in the city, who told me that ne had
mich COW to which he had been feeding
bran, meal and hay at q cost of thirty
cents per day, for which the COW yielded
him four quarts of milk per day, at a
cost, outside of labor and trouble, Of seven
and half cents per quart. He had been
induced to change her ration to cotton
seed hulls, with small amount (one
pint at feed, I think,) Of cotton seed
meal, with the result of arl increase to
eight quarts of milk day, at cost of
four cents day or half q cent quart.
Later on l met Mr.. Isaac Gailliard,
late of Fairfield County, thin State, who
told me that having lost large amount
of hay by fire, in January last, he had
since fed seven milch COWS on cotton SEED
hulls alone for roughness at cost of two
cents day each, that is the hulls cost
him fifteen cents hundred pounds, and
the seven COWS ate just one hundred
| pounds day, and with the addition of a
small ration of meal, kept in beautiful
condition and yielded milk generously.
I saw the herd-fne, fat, sleek Devons-
and they gave every evidence of the
highest condition.
It was indeed revelation to me and
showed up vista Of the vast possibilities
of the cotton producing region in cattle
growing, dairying and beef production.
! have given the ubject much thought
since, and wish through your columns to
make some suggestions to my brother far.
mers.
Cotton seed oil mills are being built in
every part of the State and of the South !;
large portion of the seed annually pro.
duced will be sold to these mills and Ia
ken off the plantations; the competition
between the mills will put the seed to q
price that will induce the farmers to part
with them. At present the greater part
of the meal is returned to the land as
fertilizer, but the hull is lost and worse
than lost, because the mills, having to
i pay the transportation on that much extra
weight, of course pay less for the seed, as
oil is the desired product and the hulls
produce no oil. If an oil mill was in
the immediate vicinity of every farm it
might pay to sell the seed and buy back
the huls, possibly, but this is gene.
rally impracticable what, therefore, 1
suggest is that all parties owning gins,
portable or stationery, should provide
themselves with improved cotton seed
hullers and hull all the cotton seed except
those needed for seed on the farm where
produced. The kernels could then be
sacked and shipped to the mills, either
for money or in exchange for cotton seed
meal, and the hulls kept at home, turned
into milk, butter or beef, after passing
through the cattle could be returned to
the land in manure rich in potash,
/ phosphates and ammonia, and equal,
pound for pound. TO one.half its weight
of the standard commercial fertilizers.
In this way am convinced the estab.
lishment of cotton seed oil mills can be
made blessing instead of curse to the
cotton farmers, and another jewel added
to the crown of .King Cotton"
w r. DAVE.