The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-11-29
~ HALL & ANDERSON. -

and perhaps happiness Of nearly every
man, woman and child in the cotton
growing States is dependent in greater
or less degree On the cottonseed as well
as the cotton.
In order not to produce oil faster
than the market for it can be develop
ed, it may be found advantageous for
the oil mills not to extract the Oil
from portion Of the seed they receive,
but simply to crush and separate the
seed and cook the kernels, returning
them to the planter in the shape
of meal containing all the oil of the
seed, to be diluted by him as far as
possible before feeding with his rough
home forage, corn-cob meal, bulls.
ground cornstaIks, ensilage and the
like. It may, eventually be found
economical to bring the cattle on the
farms only to "half-fat" condition,
then collect them in aspecially-prepar-
ed barn at the oil mill, feed them for
sixty days, carefully saving and dry.
ing the manure, making 1t worth SlO
per ton, rich enough to bear transpor-
tation back to the farm and actually
weighing less than the hulls and meal
fed.
So great a development of home re-
sources is possible through the right
use of the cottonseed that 1t would
unuuestionabIy pay the Southern rail-
roads we'll to encourage the exchange
of seed for the products between the
plantations and the mills by Offering
reduced freights for such round trips.
Not only should the agricultural ex-
periment stations of the cotton-grow-
ing States be encouraged to devote
more attention to the cottonseed,
which offers 80 rich field for research
and instruction, but 1t is a fair ques-
tion whether the United States De-
partment of Agriculture should not
establish special cottonseed expert
ment station, where everything that
possibly can be done to discover and
develop the latent value of the cotton
plant may be undertaken. The gov
ernment might we'll afford to be
generous toward q portion or the
country which gets little or no benefit
The cottonseed may be made to teach
the most important and pressing les
son in economics to the people OF the
cotton States. Why should We, put
valuable feed stuff In the ground and
buy and live on salt meat In order to
raise more cotton than the world
wants?
An excellent foundation for the
study of the. cottonseed has been laid
in an invaluable government publlca-
ton of 433 pages, issued as Bulletin
No. SO of the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture, Washington, u.
.. It's title is 1.-THE Cotton Plant: Its
History, Botany, Chemistry, Culture
Enemies and Uses."
IF for no other reason than simply to
get portion of the hidden wealth OF
the cottonseed, the cotton States
should offer premiums to encourage
the breeding of beef cattle and OF
sheep. Every oil mill ought to be an
information bureau about cattle and
sheep raising and feeding on hulls and
meal, and by all means maintain at all
times fair and equitable plan OF ex'
change between cottonseed and it's pro-
ducts. In short, the full recognition
of the cottonseed as. one of our great
horticultural staples and its scientific
treatment would result in incalculaole
benefit to the cotton States, ana
through them to the whole United
States.
The problem of getting out of an
agricultural product q direct latent
value of nearly 100000, 900 and an /
indirect value of many times this
amount is one that deserves national
and aid. It's settlement
would certainly do much to remove
that unrest in the cotton States which
seems to be giving grave anxiety to
our financiers. Rhetoric is out of
place in a scientific discussion, but In
nelp;ng the humble cottonseed to ob.
tain its true place in agriculture and
there is room 1or the
highest energies not only OF the econo-
mist, scientist and inventor, but also
of the statesman and orator. Ihe
cotto2seed had no greater friend than
that matchless Gator, Henry w.
Grady. His favorite simile for it was
Later investigation shows
the cottonseed to be worthy higher
title than princess, and if our poets
and romancers could but place her
upon the vacant throne from which
five-cent cotton has been justly expell-
ed as Queen Cottonseed they would
confer an inestimable benefit upon q
people who have ever been more moved
by sentiment than by economic agu-
ment.
If there is any resident of the North
or West who finds agriculture and
manufactures no longer profitable to
him in his own location, he may rest
assured that If he has the ability to
move and the energy to apply himself
to new but simple conditions. there is
waiting for him portion of the latent
millions locked up in the cottonseed