The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-11-09
FARM NOTES.
IEdited by John C. Edgar, Duval, to whom all
for this column shouIu DC au-
iIessed.l
Cation Seed as q Crop.

Cation Seed as Crop.
Not more than 70 years ago the cot.
TON planter and ginner looked upon
cotton seed as waste product, OF such
small value that it was not worth haul
ing fl ON the gin; and it vas left there
and became a nuisance to the gin man
who. to rid himself of it consumed it
in his furnance. By degrees it began
to dawn upon the farmer that the seed
served to appease the hunger OF
short-rationed COW, if it was not pro-
ductive of flesh or milk; and a few
loads were hauled home to suppl
ment the roughness in case Of hard
winter. 1t then began to acquire a
commercial value, and instead OF get
ting all cared to haul from the gin,
free, l had now to pay cents per
bushel. In the course of fe years,
as the feeding value of cotton seed
for cattle and sheep, because better
known, the price advanced to 10 cents
and occasionally II l. 2 cents. This
was considered bonanza for the cot
TOP farmer, and hard case for the
cattle feeder, the latter of whom had
some doubt about getting his money
back from cattle fed on such a high
priced ration. That doubt probably
exists still, now that the product is
worth % cents per bushel, and still
rising. am not prepared to Fix the
fat or milk-producing value OF cotton
seed, in its manufactured condition,
though we know that it is high; but
whatever it may be, if wanted for feed
ing purposes, its manufacturing value
must be paid in the future.
1t has been discovered that cotton
seed has value beyond that of cow
feed. In 1916 it occurred to somebody
that crushed cotton seed could be
formed into cakes and compete with
linseed, but it was about 10 years
later that the oil was found to have a
commercial value. trifiing at first, but
soon very considerable. Now the oil
is pressed from the seed and worth
from 80 to 80 cents per gallon at the
mill. A ton of seed yields from 80 to
43 gallons of oil, the quantity and
quality varying with the character of
land on which it is grown. The oil
forms from 20 to 25 per cent of what is
known as compound lard. The same |
ton of seed yields 400 pounds of bulls,
worth Is cents per hundred pounds. |
The bulls are baled like hay and
find ready market amongst
dairymen. Even the short lint left by
the gin has value, being worth 3 1-2
to 1.2 cents per pound, or 70 cents
per ton of seed.
When the seed has been relieved of
lint, hull and oil, the remains are
ground into meal worth SIG to $40 per
ton, or pressed into cakes of similar
value.
1t is thus easy to understand why
cotton seed has advanced in price and |
why it should continue to maintain its
present value. In some other states !
the mills are paying S1S to $40 per ton
for seed, or from 30 to 80 cents per
bushel.
Th his great increase in the value of
seed is very agreeable offset to the
value of the lint and helps
to yield a profit in the cotton crop,
which, but for that, would have been
totally Improbable.
1t Is however to be feared that this
great advance in value of seed may
induce farmers to increase their cot
ton acreage with the idea of making
up in the seed what may be lost in the
lint. Such a course could have but
one result. The Increased supply of
seed and linz would certainly tend
TO lower prices. Cotton spectators
have great deal to do with regulat-
ing the price of cotton, but their power
for mischief is as nothing compared to
the power of the oil mill owners should
they agree to regulate the price OF
seed. They are trying it now. but
there are still too many mills outside
of the trust" for them to effect their
purpose.
Since cotton seed has reached such
importance as product of the farm it
occurred to some genius that it would
pay to grow seed without lint, and so
we have been told that lintless cotton
had been discovered that would yield
200 or 300 bushels per acre. At the
present value of seed such a crop
would certainly be profitable. Though
an unbeliever, tested the lintless
cotton this season. In growth and
general appearance it is like a run out
"bumble bee" cotton, with small bolls
The seed bore no lint and if it could
have been saved might have yielded
SIX bushels per acre, but probably less.
AS soon as ripe the bolls open aud the
seed fall like peas from a pod, and the
only way it can be saved is with a
solid rake and scoop shovel. 1t is a
fraud and farmers WISHING tO raise