The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1895-02-09
FARMER AND PLANTER
SALE OF COTTON SEED.

At What Price Can the Planter Afford TO
Sell and What Can the Mill Men Afford
to Payf
Since the time when cottofi-seed oil
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: sat what price can afford to sell
my cotton seed?" and 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 S14 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 as 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-
inand 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
lessly disregarded.
THE SEED MEAL AS A FERTILIZER.
A ton of cotton-seed meal on an aver
age yields approximately, 1000 pounds
of meats, 500 pounds of hulls, and 20
pounds of lint. The meats yield about
500 pounds of meal, and 200 pounds, or
80 gallons of oil.
At this time the seed is worth about
Sc at the mill, the meal $40, and the
bulls So at the same place; the oil at
90 cents per gallon, and the lint cents
per pound. The mill man, therefore,
converts SC for the seed into S16.47 for
it's product, difference of S10.47, even
at the very low present price of oil and
meal. At future time i will estimate
in bulletin form the profits to the mill
man in this sl0.47. At present shall
confine myself to the farmers side OF
the question.
The average composition of ton OF
the seed in fertilizing material is 60.t
pounds of nitrogen, 23.a pounds OF
phosphoric acid, and ISL pound.
of potash. The money value of q
ton of meal is SIG, and at that
price it is the cheapest all-pur
pose fertilizer which the farmer
can buy. Add So to this for hauling
home. and the price becomes S1s pei
ton. But how does its price compare
with price of the seed at SC a ton? Ths
average fertilizer composition of tor
of the meal is 1928 pounds of nitrogen
$50 pounds of phosphoric acid ant
S5.s5 pounds of potash. This woult
make about the following valuation
per pound of the above ingredients
Nitrogen, 10 cents; phosphoric acid.
cents; potash cents. These price
would give money valuation to cot
| ton seed themselves of So. As. So whel
the farmer sells seed at SC per ton. ant
buys meal at SIG per ton, he is losini
about 81 so, not counting the cost o
hauling the seed to the mill or neares
market. This estimate is based on tn,
| fertilizer value alone. But to appl,
rev seed or meal is the most wastefu
way to use them for fertilizer, sine
their feed value is thereby lost. LIE
us compare:
THE FEED COMPOSITION OF THE TWO.
The seed contains, per ton, 374 pound
| of protein. or heterogeneous material
BIAS pounds OF nitrogen free-extrac'
including starch, sugar. resins. etc
414.s pounds OF oil. The meal contain.
per ton, SAG pounds of protein, ~
pounds of nitrogen free-extract, &c
pounds of oil. 1t is difficult to plac
anything like correct money value o
the above ingredients. But they sho'
the seed are richer in oil-too rich. as
well known-and in nitrogen freeze,
tract, than is the meal. But the mea
contains two and one-half times tn
amount of protein in the seed. Their
fore, so far as chemical composition
concerned, two and half tons of see
used would more than compensate Il
one of meal. But the meal costs tn
farmer SIS, and he receives SIS for tn
seed, loss of So. 1t may be said thu
the meal is better feed than the see'
practically, regardless of chemical con
position. In some respects it is bette
but can no more be fed without rougl
ness or coarse fodder of some kind tina
the seed.
| In an extensive feeding experimel
covering two winters. it was shown
Professors Gully and Carson Bullet
No. 81 at this station, that for diffe
emit cattle foods, q ration made up
| cotton hulls ard cotton meal is cQua