The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-04-03
COTTON seed OIL.
AN IMPORTANT SOUTHERN INDUS.
TRY.

A Pure Vegetable Product that is I'm
| surpassed as an Article of Food,
and one that is Destined to Come
Into General use.
Baltimore Manufacturers Record.
Congress has under consideration
this important question: What is pure
food? 1t is not the first time by any
means that the peoples representatives
at the national capital have had theil
attention directed to this subject, and
it will not be the last, for as chemistry
advances its discoveries year by year,
so will there be an ever renewed and a
never settled controversy between the
old and the new in all that relates to
the preparation on a large scale oi
human food staples.
Among the interesting and impor-
tant side questions, that have arisen
during these Congressional investiga-
tions is one of more moment to the
on-growing States than all the
others. 1t is as to the dietetic value
of cotton n-seed oil. Is this oil really
and truly entitled to recognition as a
wholesome and therefore desirable
addition to the long catalogue of hu
manity's tood2 If it is, then the
South will have a new source of de-
mand for one of its agricultural pro.
ducts and if cotton-seed oil is equal
in all respects to that pressed from the
olive, it will have another industry
added to its ever lengthening list.
Early in 1888 two bills were before
Congress, one in the House the Other
in the Senate. The committee of eacf
body had numerous hearings, which
were geographically reported and
were published in full in volume o
41S pages. The purpose of the pro
posed legislation, as set forth in tht
House bill, was " to regulate the man
ufacture and sale of counterfeit O.
compound lard. The friends of tn,
measure labored hard to show tina
compound lard was far inferior to tn,
genuine hog product, and that if M
restraints were put upon its manufac
ture and sale, it would drive the othe
out of the market and deprive th'
world OF one of its pure food staples
The lard compound men met their op
ponents squarely on that issue, and en-
deavored to prove that the article the
manufactured was in all respects a bet
ter food than that made and sold b
their competitors.
One of the ingredients of the com
pound is cotton-seed oil, and the mel
its of this were discussed pro and CO.
with much learning and ability.
Physicians and chemists were calle
, in as experts by both sides, and vo
i ume of testimony was taken, in tt
mass of which, while there is muc
> worthless trash, there is also much {
general interest and value. We sha
draw upon this accumulated wealth I
) material hereafter.
Assuming (what we intend later
5 prove) that cotton-seed oil is the equ
of olive oil tor all purposes, the que
u ton arises as to the importance of tt
S latter. What does it amount to as {
= article of commerce, and what is
IS consumption in this country? The
y questions are easily answered, for Il
: annual reports of the worlds impor
" and exports, prepared under the dire
e ton of the Chief of the Bureau of St
II tistics at Washington, give official Fl
: ures that cannot be controverted, VIII
Il at the National Department of Sta
] the bureau of consular reports h
n stores of valuable information.
&c Olive oil is produced mainly, b
l. not exclusively, in those parts of Sout
& ern Europe bordering upon the Met
L. terranean basin. In the elaborate I
,, port made by Mr.. Albert N. Haiti
a way, American consul at Nice,
lP "the olive and its culture" it is Sd
m that in that basin the olive tree "cov
"a the slopes, valleys and hillsides
ne millions. The general confgurati
OF of the coasts, the mountain barrl
ar sheltering against Northern winds, a
nc the proximity of the sea itself, VIII
c serves as a vast reflector OF the S,
an beams, are explanatory Of this result
;" 1t is computed that the total ann
IN production of olive oil is somewl
more than 100000 gallons,
It which Italy contributes 33,ooo,o
w and France 100000. Nearly all
as that consumed in the United Sta
to comes from either the one or the OF
re- of those countries, although we
no some of it at second hand from Brit
be and other European merchants. !
nd entire importation OF olive oil fr
to these countries for the fiscal year t
p ended June 80, 1889, was $685.:
mt gallons of an invoiced value of s6e
ny o65. This would be equivalent
I'd, about II cents per gallon to be p
gle the European merchants. Adding
M this freights, duties, costs of handl
tn and iobbers profits in this country,
ult the value of this oil. ready for dlstri
S ton to the retail trade, was proba
nat something more than million doll
,gs Taking 100000 gallons as the
sa- nual product of the world, and
to cents as the average value per gall
pie the worlds crop of olive oil is VIC
:, is annually s53,9oo,ooo. A part of
'os- which this country imports comes
ap- bulk and has many uses in the inc
trial arts. The remainder is in |
ties or TASKS, and is the salad oil ]
ro- in stock by druggists and frst-e
les, family grocers. The first is de