The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-11-16
THE COTTON sEED MRAL AS A
SOURCE OF PROFIT TO
THR SOUTH.
Importance of Utilizing it as q Feed
Stuff and as a Fertilizer.


[By the ex-Director of the W. Va. Agricultural
Experiment Station,]
Correspondence OF the Progressive Farmer.
There can be no question that the
profits OF agriculture in the South are
greatly reduced by the failure of the
farmers to utilize in an economic way
their valuable cotton seed and it's prod
ucts. The proper utilization of this
product is suff foient Of itself to change
the accounts Of many farmers from
the loss to the profit side of the column.
There is no product ia the United States
that offers the advantages from an
agricultural standpoint that are offered
by the cotton crop when it is properly
utilized Even with the Wasteful
methods of the past it has been profit.
able No other crop could have been.
The farmers of the South are making
serious mistake in failing to utilize
the cotton seed and it's products. Every
part Of the cotton seed except the oil
should be used upon the Southern
farms, either in the form of feed stuff
or fertilizer. The cotton seed oil mills
are sufficiently numerous in most sec
tions of the South to enable the farmer
to exchange his cotton seed for cotton
seed meal, which is better suited for
economic use upon the farm.
AS feed stuff it is too concentrated
to be fed to advantage alone, but when
mixed with cotton seed hulls In the
proportion of about one pound of the
meal to five pounds of hulls, or in lit
tie less proportion with Southern
grown hay, it forms a most excellent
cattle food. If the North and European
countries can afford to buy cotton seed
meal and ship it for consumption in
distant sections, surely it can be con-
sumed at greater profit upon the South
ern farm. It is simply question Of
doing it.
There is no other agricultural prod.
uct that will produce an oq1al amount
of valuable manure when consumeS ~
live stock, and when utilized IN this
way the farmer secures both its food
and its feEsstnzing value.- The time is
ceIrJSs1fnly not far distant when the
South, with entire control of this prod
uct will cease to ship it North to be fed
TO cattle, the beef of which is consumed
in the South. There is nothing to pre-
vent the South from fattening the cat
tie and shipping the beef North, at an
i0cPnaSa6 OrOf1k Tn tho South
But the most striking example Of q
failure to appropriate it is in the use of
fertil z 3rs. There is perhaps no better
fertilizer than cotton seed meal when
properly mixed with acid phosphate
and potash. A good average fertilizer
for the South can be prepared by mix
ing 1000 pounds to 200 pounds of
acid phosphate, 500 pounds to 700
pounds of cotton seed meal, 400 pounds
to 500 pounds of kainit or in place Of
kainit 100 pounds to 1875 pounds of mu-
riate or sulphate of potash, these latter
two being more concentrated would
save the farmer something in freight.
The proportions can be changed to suit
the Re quirements. But the point that
/ make is this: all of the necessary in
gradients for complete fertilizer ex-
cept the potash are produced In the
South in practically unlimited quanti-
ties, and instead of buying fertilizers
from the North, the South should sup
ply the North with nearly all Of it's
complete fertiliz :rs-at least a large
share of them.
I believe the time is not far distant
when every cotton seed oil mill will
find it profitable to supply the entire
demands Of the farmers for concen-
trated feed stuffs and fertiIis srs at
rates which will be mutually profitable
TO the farmers and to the oil mills, and
check this drain upon Southern re.
sources. The key to the situation is
held by the cotton seed oil mills, and it
is to be hoped that these great enter
prises may prove to be benefactors to
the agriculturists of the South. It's
to their financial interest to do so and
believe they will A mutual exten-
sion OF the business will prove mutually
profitable, both to the farmers and the
owners Of the oil mills.
JOHN A. MYKRg.
New York, Nov. 1. 1897.
Every breeder of pure bred stock