The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-11-20
THE FARMERS AND THE OIL MILL.
The Relative Value of Cotton Seed and
Cotton Seed Meal.

The Relative Value of Cotton Seed and
Cotton Seed Meal.
The Director of the Georgia Expert
mental Station contributes the follow
ing article to the Atlanta Constitution
and farmers would de- well to study
the facts and figures given:
There is no doubt of the facts that
the advent of the cotton oil mill has
been Of considerable benef to far
mers in enchancing the market value
of cotton seed. At times there has
been disposition on the part of some Of
the mills to squeeze the farmer, as
well as the seed, io the terms they Of
fer. It is well, therefore, for the
farmer to understand the actual and
relative commercial value of whole
cotton seed and cotton seed meal, both
for food and for iertilizing purposes.
According to the best authorities the
following are the fertilizlng contents
of one ton each Of cotton seed and cot
ton seed meal, and the commercial
value of one ton CT each, based on
valuation Of Is cents per pound of
available phosphcric acid and 5 cents
per pound of potash:
In one ton of cotton seed there are
6 pounds of nitrogen, 30 pounds of
phosphoric acid, % pounds of potash;
the value of one ton is s11.40, the val
ue of 100 pounds IS 81 cents.
In one ton of cotton seed there are
142 pounds of nitrogen, Sc pounds of
phosphoric acid, 81 pounds of potash;
the value of one ton is $25 81; the
value of 100 pounds is s1.29.
By an easy calculation we find that
one ton Of cotton seed is equal in fer
tilhing value to $50 pounds of cotton
seed meal. This estimate takes no
account of the superior mechanical
condition OF the meal, nor its greater
concentration, which involves less la
Dor in hauling, mixing, ETC., and
greater promptness of action when
applied to the soil as fertilizer The
calculation is based solely on the con-
tents of fertilizing elements in the
seed and meal respectively, as shown
by many analyses. The advantages
of this superior mechaical condition
and concentration are certainly worth
something to the farmer. In addition
to these advantages the cotton seed
meal IS in better condition for feeding
to mich COWS and other cattle. Sup
pose we grant tkat these advantages
are together equivalent to 10 per cent.
of the value of the meal. Then de-
duct 10 per cert. from $50 and we
have $50 less SS--792 pounds of meal
as the approximate fertilizing equiva-
lent of one ton of cotton seed. In
round numbers we will call it 500
pounds Then We have 500 pounds of
meal, equivalent to 1000 pounds, or
one ton, of cotton seed, the exchange
to be made without expense of haul
ing to the farmer. 1t seems then
quite clear that E. farmer cannot afford
to exchange one ton Of cotton seed for
less than 500 pounds Of meal, free of
the expense Of hauling. With these
simple data it should be in the power
of any farmer to decide for himself
whether given offer would be rea-
sonable or profitable for him. Valu
ing cotton seed meal at $50 per ton,
the farmer would have margin of 50
to cover hauling expenses when the
mill man offers him 1000 pounds of
meal for one ton Of seed. How far
can he afford to haul one ton of seed
toward the mill and 1000 pounds of
meal to his farm. We learn that
some of the mills are offering just the
exchange above suggested, viz, 1000
pounds of meal in exchange for one
ton Of seed, the mill to pay railroad
freight on the seed and the farmer the
freight on the meal.
We understand that the mills at
present prefer to buy the seed for the
cash and store away the meal for fu
ture consideration (and higher prices
We have heard that the oil mill com
bine has adopted 81 per ton as the
maximum price to be paid for seed
until further orders; and we have not
heard of higher offers than sc cents
per hundred pounds, or Sc per ton.
But.we have previously shown that