The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-11-30

IN every way. Inc ylelu VI tne Apel
is large, and when satisfactory ma
chinery is produced a considerable
bagging industry will be built up near
the cotton fields. Five tons of good
stalk will yield about 1,500 poundslof
frst-class Gber. At this rate the
annual cotton crop will produce all
/ the bagging needed for cotton baling
and leave good percentage for other
purposes. Of course the industry is
largely in the experimental stages yet,
/ but if it works as well as the cotton
seed oil Industry did, it will not be
many years before it will assume 81
gantic proportions.
In Egypt the common cotton Of the
Nile districts Gossylii radicis cortex)
produces large root, the bark Of
which has long been used for medicinal
purposes. The action Of this bark is
similar to that Of ergot. This fact
, has led to investigations here, and it
is believed shat another by-product of
the cotton crop will be soon found in
the roots Of the plants. The drug
would be useful in many ways and
might prove Of great value. Chemists
have approved Of it, and it is now
largely a question of extracting it
proftably.
In connection with employing the
cotton seed hulls as food for animals,
it might be said that any surplus of
the crop can be utilized in making
artificial fertilizers. Cotton-hull
ashes are very valuable for furnishing
cheap potash for the tobacco crop,
and there is quite demand for it in
all Of the tabacco growing districts of
this country. The quality Of these
ashes varies, but as rule they are Of
considerable value.
This leaves little Of the cotton plant
either to go to waste or to be returned
to the soil. Every part OF it is turned
to some profitable use, and as the
years go by new uses for the products
will be discovered. Already the cot
ton-seed oil-the most valuable by
product Of the crop-has found its
way into fields never dreamed of when
it was first extracted. Improved
methods of refining it are gradually
forcing the oil into direct competitor
with more expensive oils. 1t has
been found that the upland cotton
seeds yields purer and better oil
than the cotton raised along the sea-
coast. The climate also has much to
dc with the quality of the oil, and un-
der the same conditions, cotton-seed oil
made in this country is superior to
that manufactured of the Egyptian or
Indian cotton-seed. The oil first cx-
tracted by expression is odorless, and
Of dark, brownish- green color This
is treated with alkaline solutions, and
a clear, pleasant, yellow and odorless
oil is produced. The residue is called
soap stock and enters largely into the
manufacture Of soaps. The refined
oil is consumed chiefly as food pro-
duet, as it makes a good substitute
for salad and cooking oils. and also for
packing sardines and other fish 1t
has its limits, however, and the man
ufacturers have not been able to make
it take the place Of oils for mixing
paints or wood-fllers. 1t dries very
slowly and imperfectly, and this seems
to debar it forever from entering into
competition with linseed and similar
oils for the drug and paint trade. AS
a lubricant, the best refined cotton
seed oil is very satisfactory, and it is
ia considerable demand in the machine
trade
Refining processes are constantly
developing new uses for the oil. The
yellow oil resulting from the first pro-
cess Of refining, through treatment
with alkaline solutions, is further puri
fed by heating and filtration Then
the white oil Of commerce is ob-
tanned by shaking the yellow oil with
9 or per cent Of fullers earth In
purifying the yellow oil about 25 per
cent Of it is separated in the form of
stearin. This cotton seed stcarin is
employed in making candles and the
various preparations of butter and lard
surrogates.
For some time this cotton-seed oil
was mixed with lard intended for cold
climates, and then its duidity was cor
rected by mixing it with beef fat
| Now this is often sold on it's own mer-
its in the market in open competition
with lard.
Finally, there is wash powder
made from the soapstock, that owes