St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-02-16
FARMER AND PLANTER
SALE OF COTTON SEED.

SALE OF COTTON SEED.
At what Price Can the Planter Afford to
Sell and what Can the MN Men A1osa
to Pays
Since the time when cotton-seed Oh
mills were safely established the price
of seed has been an annual theme Of
discussion between the farmer and mill
men. Lately the matter has received
quasi state Importance from the polit-
ical discussion over the cotton-seed
trust
With the farmer the question should
be: ''At what price can afford to sell
my cotton seed?'' aud not what price
can the mill men afford to pay?" since
the latter question is beyond his con.
troll.
1t is not likely that any discussion in
the press, or otherwise, will materially
influence the majority Of farmers in the
disposal OF their cotton seed. Whether
the price is sl4 or 81 per ton. the seed
will be sold just the same-reluctantly.
perhaps, but none the less steadily.
The farmer is too prone to look upon
the sale Of the seed rs SO much saved,
regardless Of the price, but l believe
there are some who. if clearly reminded
of the farm value of the seed. will de-
mand 4 certain price Of the mill men or
use the seed at home upon the farm
Especially should this be done BY the
farmers living upon the poorer lands OF
the state-land that is not sufficiently
fertile to begin with, and that will rap
idly grow poorer as each annual crop
of cotton is sold and nothing returned.
Upon richer land Of the state, like the
black waxey and the alluvial river bot
toms, the seed is Of less importance;
but even there they have great feed
ing value that should not be thought
lesslv disregarded.
THE SEED NEAL As A FERTILIZER.
A ton of cotton-seed meal on an aver.
age yields approximately, 1000 pounds
Of meats. 500 pounds of halls, and 20
pounds of lint. The meats yield about
500 pounds of meal. and go pounds, or
80 gallons of oil.
At this time the seed is worth about
SC 1t the mill, the meal SIG, and the
hulis 6 at the same place; the oil at
% cents per gallon, and the lint cents
per pound. The mill man. therefore,
converts Sc for the seed into Sl6.47 for
its product, q difference OF sl0.4 even
at the very low present price Of oil and
meal. At . future time will estimate
in bulletin form the profits to the mill
man in this slE.47. At present shall
confine myself TO the farmers side Of
the question.
The average composition of q ton of
the seed in fertilizing material is SO. 6
pounds of nitrogen. cas- pounds of
phosphoric acid, and ISL pounds
OF potash. The money value Of a
ton of meal is SIG, and at that
price it is the cheapest all-pur-
pose fertilizer which the farmer
can buy. Add g to this for hauling
home. and the price becomes SIS per
ton. But how does its price compare
with price Of the seed at S6 = ton? The
average fertilizer composition OF ton
of the meal is 1878 pounds of nitrogen.
$50 pounds Of phosphoric acid and
ss.s5 pounds of potash. This would
make about the following valuation
per pound of the above ingredients:
Nitrogen, 10 cents; phosphoric acid, .
cents; potash cents. These prices
would give q money valuation to cot
ton seed themselves of Ss.45. So when
the farmer sells seed at IS per ton. and
buys meal at SIS per ton, he is losing
about $3.50, not counting the cost OF
hauling the seed to the mill or nearest
market. This estimate is based on the
fertilizer value alone. But to apply
raw seed or meal is the most wasteful
way to use them for q fertilizer, since
their feed value is thereby lost. Let
Us compare:
THE FEED COMPOSITION OF THE TWO.
The seed contains, per ton, 374 pounds
Of protein. or heterogeneous material.
514.S pounds Of nitrogen free-extract.
including starch. sugar. resins. etc,
4lAS pounds of oil. The meal contains,
per ton, SAG pounds of protein, 473
pounds of nitrogen free-extract, 363
anything like q correct money value on
the above ingredients. But they show
the seed are richer in oil-too rich. rs is
well known-and in nitrogen free-ex-
tract, than is the meal. But the meal
contains two and 0ne-half times the
amount of protein in the seed. There
fore, SO far as chemical composition is
concerned, two and half tons of seed
used would more than compensate for
one of meal. But the meal costs the
farmer SIS, and he receives SIS for the
seed, loss of IS. 1t may be said that
the meal is a better feed than the seed,
practically, regardless of chemical com
position. In some respects it is better,
but can no more be fed without rough
ness or coarse fodder of some kind than
the seed.
In an extensive feeding experiment
covering tUO winters, it was shown by
Professors Gully and Carson bulletin
No. 81 at this station. that for differ
eut cattle foods. q ration made up of
cotton hulls and cotton meal is equal.
if not superior, to a ration of any other
two feed stuffs used for fattening cat
tie. but a cheaper ration may be COM
pounded Of silage and cotton seed, or
Of corn, hay, and cotton seed at the
prices given, namely: Forty cents q
bushel for corn; SEC . ton for cotton
seed mcel. Stage ut - per ton. So per
ton for bulls, and 81 per ton for cotton
seed.
conclude. therefore, that il the
farmer wishes to make q choice be-
tween seed and meal for fertilizer pur-
poses only, at the present prices. he
loses about $50 per ton il he decides
in favor of the meal. If for feeding
purposes, he loses about s. per ton.
That is, If we assume the manure from
ton of seed and = ton of meal TO he
worth the same or nothing. But since