The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-12-03
COTTON SEED INDUSTRY
BY JOHN HYDE.

BY JOHN HYDE.
TINE cotton seed industry of the
United States is wholly an out
L growth of the enterprise of what,
in common parlanco, has become known
as the new or industrial south. Under
the old slave system of labor cotton seed,
although 1t represented in weight two
thirds of the gross product of the cotton
plantation, was regarded as absolutely
of no commercial value. and, aside from
that used for planting and the modicum
used for fertiizing purposes, the crop
was n cumbersome and neglected waste.
The adoption of the free labor system,
and later the awakening of the south
to its natural manufacturing advantages.
especially In respect to its great staple
cotton, have resulted, among many IN
dustrial achievements, in none more phe-
nomenal than the conversion or this
quondam waste of the southern cotton
fields into manufactured products, the
total value of which now gives to cotton
seed the distinction OF being the most val
liable olaaginous seed crop produced IN
the United States.
The quantity of cotton seed annually
produced in the southern states has never
-
vestigation by this department. and no
official figures on yield are extant. 1t Is
generally recognized. however. that cot
ton as picked from the boil consists
roughly of two-thirds seed and one-third
lint: and. although climatic. soil ana
other conditions may cause local varia-
lions in this relative proportion or seed
to lint, an estimate based upon X Will
at least serve to supply the lack or care
fully collected statistics and to illustrate.
with fair approximation. the magnitude
of the cotton seed crop.
THE manufactured products upon
! which the value Of cotton seed chiefly
depcnds are cotton seed oil, cotton seed
OIL cake and oil cake meal The Yield
of these products to the ton of seed (2ooo
pounds) is subject to variations, but
fair estimate would be about thirty-seven
gallons of oil C275 pounds) and 20 pounds
of oil cake or oil cake meal The resi-
due 1000 pounds in each ton, consists or
linters and hulls, of comparatively small
commercial value. The application or the
yield per ton to the figures OF total
production given above will furnish a
comprehension of the possible output OF
the oil mills of the south, when once
this industry shall have attained It's fun
development.
The quantity Of cotton seed that could
be utilized for manufacturing purposes.
in case the Industrial demand were equal
to the supply. naturally varies from year
to year. but It is considered a fair esti-
mate that of late years about tn per
cent of the total crop could have been
made available for industrial land fertil-
izng) use. the remaining - per cent be-
ing required upon the plantations Tor
planting. 1t is scarcely necessary 70
state, however. that the total OF THIS
available surplus has never been uullzed
i'm manufacture. In the earlier years or
the industry. the limited crushing ca
pacity of the two mills. the high trans
portation charges upon so bulky crop,
the low price of the seed, the undeveiopeu
state of the market for the manufactured
products and like causes prevented the
utiliza ton in manufacture of more than
an insignificant portion of the crop; but
later. the rapid construction of new mills
in response to widening markets and uses
for their products, and the convenient dis
tribution of these mills over the most
heaving producing areas so multiplied the
manufacturing capacity and so facilitat-
ed the delivery of seed TO the mills that
the proportion of the crop utilized TOT
Industrial purposes rapidly increased In
the crop wear of lS1-'72 according TO
commercial estimates, only per cent of
the total cotton seed crop of the United
States was utilized for manufacture: III
1SSl-'S2 the proportion had increased TO
about IL per cent; In 1S91-'92 1t had at
tanned approximately to % per cent, and
in 1S9S-'99. when the percentage manu-
featured had reached its maximum up
to the present date, the quantity used
for Industrial purposes was estimated
TO he 43 per cent of the entire crop. The
status of the industry In the crop year
1895 80 would. therefore, seem to Indicate
that about IS per cent of the cotton seed
crop was utilized for seeding ana INDUS
trial purposes combined, leaving approx
mately - per cent for use as fertilizer
or to go to waste In the crop year 1899
1900 the percentage used In manufacture
showed as might now be expected in
short crop year. n slight decrease from
the preceding one.
IN the current year, however. owing TO
the prevailing high prices Of cotton seed.
IT would seem reasonable to expect
considerable lessening of the difference
between the available supply and the In
dustrial demand
The wealth that has accrued to the
south through this industry is best exem-
TON seed oil. cotton seed oil cake and OF
cake meal. In the fiscal year MI -,
when the growing Importance of the eX-
ports of cotton seed oil first warranted
separate, specific statement In custom
house accounts. the quantity exported
amounted to only 547. 165 gallons. valued at
s293 $40 In 1S99-1900. less than three de-
codes later. the exports had increased to
46 9O2. 800 gallons with a value of Sli,
127. 53S
The exports of the last two years rep
resent. respectively. about So and 30 per
cent of the total quantity of cotton seed
oil manufactured in the United States
during the corresponding periods, the re-
mainder having been reserved for domes-
tic consumption.
For cotton seed In its natural state the
export demand, though unimportant. has
shown a steady increase during the past
six years
Over s25. 500. 900 was realized In the fiscal
wear ended June So 1900. from the exports
alone of what, a little more than thirty
wears ago. was considered a commercially
vaIueless product of the southern cotton
fields. An amount considerably over half
of this very large sum may be added for
tho total value of the manufactured
nroducts that entered into domestic con-