The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1894-12-22
COTTON SEED.


oi business men interested in cotton
seed and It's numerous uses, Mr.. FL
Merrlman, of ST. Louis, delivered an
exceedingly interesting speech upou
the growth aud marvellous increase of
this industry. lie recapitulated the
whole history of cotton seed, from the
days when it was only used as a fer.
tllizer by economical farmers. or left
by the thriftless to rot in immense
heaps at the gin house doors, 10 The
present. time, when the product dis.
putes Importance with the fibre itself,
and has brought lucre and employ.
ment to thousands.
The first attempt to extract oil from
cotton seed was made in London, III
1888, with seed brought from the
West Indies The project was a fail
ure. Iu America the effort was again
made at Nstchez in 1884, and again ii
failed. Other attempts were made
without success until Mr.. Paul AIdige,
of New Orleans, visited Marsellles aud
made a careful study of the process O:
refining oil from Egyptian cotton seed,
aud returning to America, organized
company aud gave the industry Its
first impetus towards success. Strange
ly enough Mr.. Aldige's chief difficulty
was to convince the planters them.
selves that there was any money in
cotton seed. 1t was too small matter
for them to triae with. For years the
seed continued to be thrown away,
used as fertilizer, or given as a per-
quisite to the negroes. In this condi-
tion the civil war found tho industry,
aad compelled cessation of its devel.
opment. AT the end of the war the
cotton seed industry sprung up and
fourished without hindrsnce until II
reached It's present proportions.
In 1866 there were seven cotton
seed mills in existence. In 1870 there
were twenty-six; in 1880 forty-fvc,
and at present the number has in-
creased TO 250 Last year there were
crushed IN the mills l,275,0O0 tons OF
seed, aud the revenue TO the railways
for transportation aggregated $3,000,-
900. The possibilities of the seed
seem to DO almost limitless. Scarcely
a year passes that some preparation
Of the product is not advanced as a
substitute for hitherto high priced
aud scarce commodities. Cotton seed
now supplies every need for oil except
illumination, aud even In this, In
miners lamps, torches, &c, Its superb
ority Is demonstrated. The various
uses of The meal, hulls, and other pro-
ducts as feed stulls aud fertilizers, are
too well known for reference, but per-
haps The greatest Of all It's uses Is In
the manufacture of a food product
which substitutes wholesome voge-
table compound for lard in cookery.
In one year the N. X. Fairbanks Co.
sold 100000 pounds Of tins product,
aud the demand for II 10 constantly
increasing.
Mr. Merriman, in his speech referred
to, touches upon the question OF The
cotton seed trusts, and the possibility
of raising the price of seed. He sd-
yerts to the enormous sale Of the cot
toleue product, aud of the soap pro-
duct, and claims that IL was consumed
by the North, by Europe, by The whole
world, except the South. "lf," he
says. "tho South would consume as
much cottolene, as much lard com.
pound, as much of their own products
as the North, these combines would
disappear in "a hours aud cotton seed
bring 1926 u TOM This is perhaps al
exaggcration. But II is doubtless true
that the assertion contains aud sug-
ges,s a valuable economic possibility.
Why should not tho queens OF the
cookery realms of the cotton States,
effect a revolution displacing Western
lard with the product Of their own
bomesP They have displayed both
energy aud genius in organized effort
In many directions, aud why not in
one of such plain utlllty3 If the
change we're little awkward at first,
use which has incorporated cotIolsne
into culinary customs in all other parts
Of the world, would soon fit 1t to the
palate. Notbiug is more certain than
that much that is called taste is arti-
fetal. And in this Instance there
would be a sectional Inspiration
Everv time the breakfast bell rang or