The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-07-03
The Best Cotton Food KnOwn-WOn'
derfu1 Results Of Practical Ex'
periments-SOlne Suggestions 10
Southern Farmers.

To the Editor Of The News and courier
While in Rome, Ga, last March saw some-
Mr. Arthur Sullivan, OF the firm OF ToWers
& Sullivan, showed me In one enclosure
about seventy beeVes (generally oid Work
oxen) that had been fattened on cotton SEED
bulls alone. No corn, no fodder, nay or
shucks, nothing but cotton seed hulls as they
came from the huller Of seed oil factory JUST
across the street. and many OF these oxen were
80 fat that they would not stand up except &C oto 10
/ eat, as fat and fine as any ever saw come
of the mosquito grass OF Western Te3as.
Around three sides OF this enclosure were
covered sheds containing troughs nlled Win
hulls from which the beeyes fed, ana tne
fourth side contained similar troughs con-
| stantly filled with pure water, to which tney
had constant access. That was all, cotton
seed hulls and water.
| subsequently, I met gentleman living In
| the city, who told me that he had mllcn
COW to which he had been feeding bran, meal
and hay at cost Of thirty cents per day.
| milk per day, at q cost, outside OF labor ana
trouble, OF seven and o half cents per quart.
He had been induced TO change her ration 70
cotton seed hulls, with small amount o1d Sa, zone
with the result Of an increase to eight quarts
Of milk day, at a cost of four cents day or
half a cent quart
| Fairfield County, this State, who told me
that having lost q large amount OF hay by
fire in January last, be had since feo seven
milch COWS on cotton seed hulls q ai0ne {, .np dGr
that Is the hulls cost him fifteen cents hum
dred pounds, and the seven cows Just ate one
| hundred pounds day, and with the addltlon
condition and yielded milk generously.
saw the herd-nne, fat, sleek Devons-and
they gave every evidence Of the highest con-
II was indeed revelation to me and show
ed up q vista of the vast possibilities Of the
cotton producing region in cattle growing,
dairying and beef production.
I have given the subject 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 eve
ry part OF the State and of the South large
portion OF the seed annually produced Will
soon be sold to these mills and taken of 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 return.
ed to the land as fertilizer, but the hull Is lost
| and worse than lost, because the mills, hav-
Ing to pay the transportation on that much
extra weight, OF course pay less Tor the SEED,
| as oil Is the desired product and the hulls
produce no oil. If an oil mill was In the I'm.
mediate vicinity OF every farm 1t might pay
| to sell the seed and buy back the hulla, pos
sibly, but this is generally impracticable ;
what, therefore, suggest is that all parties
owning gins, portable or stationary. should
provide themselves with improved cotton
seed nullers anu nun iii the cotIoh seeu eA-
cept those needed for seed on the farms 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 a manure rich In
potash, phosphates and ammonia, and equal.
bound for pound to one-half Its weight OF
the standard commercial fertilizers.
In this way am convinced the establish
| ment OF cotton seed oil mills can be made q
blessing instead Of O curse to the cotton far
mers. and another jewel added to the crown
OF '.King Cotton"
| w. r. Davle.