The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-09-04
.o1roS Slid ,kK,Us HEAT

You can not find perhaps a single
living American who ever thought that
cotton seed was indeed an important
God product. 1t is scarcely probable
that any southern man a decade ago
ever anticipated the time when the
cotton seed would be proclaimed as
"the new cereal." and a full rival of
wheat of the worlds centuries. But
so it has come to pass. MIR. Edwin L.
Johnson, a native OF Tennessee. and
born in 1852, a contributor to trade
journals and author of The Queen
Cotton Seed Series of Economic
Tracts Is out in a short paper in the
New York Forum for September, IN
which he enters a plea in behalf of the
least of all seeds" in public estima-
ton in the past 1t was regarded ali
over the south as of but little value,
fit for manuring purposes and for moth
ing else.
Mr.. Johnson thinks the signs indicate
that this least Of all seeds is des-
tined to become the greatest of all"
1t has gained favor and Importance by
a hard and constant struggle against
ignorance and prejudice" He says
that it was long regarded las an i'm
pertinent by-product interfering with
the markets for the cereals" If his
figures are correct then the world has
indeed gained a most important food
product. We must copy al some
length. from his paper as it is of start
Ifn@ intnrncr nnI mill ntroat ~ 1T
tention Of all cotton planters and wheat
growers. In fact all who need food
must be interested more or less. He
says:
WHEAT AND Cotton SEED COM
PARED.
Whsat-Protein, 11.S7; Carbohydrates
1859; fat 2.09; value $1.Q0.
Co:on seed-Protein. 1857: carbohy-
drates. 1882; fat 2O.19; value. $1.39.
The above gives the number Of
pounds Of o components and the
analytical value of 100 pounds each of
wheat and cotton seed, according to
the methods in use by the agricultural
experiment stations. 1t shows the sur
prising fact that, pound for pound.
cotton seed has a greater intrinsic
value than wheat. Neither is the bulk
of the cotton seed crop by any means
Insignificant as compared with wheat.
There are raised in the southern states
alone fve-sevenths as many bushels OF
cotton seed as there are raised bushels
of wheat in the whole United States.
In spite of all the criticisms, just and
unjust, of the southern agricultural
methods, the yield per acre in bushels
of cotton seed, over and above the
fibre, is greater than the Yield OF wheat
per acre; and it is increasing. The re-
ports of the United States department
of agriculture for the season of 1898,
the latest obtainable then those CAL
culationS were made, place the aver
age yield per acre Of cotton seed at
14.9 bushels, as against 13.43 bushels
for wheat. They are given more in de-
tail in the following:
ACREAGE AND YIELD OF COTTON
SEED AND WHEAT.
wheat-Acres, 80, 465, 900; bushels,
$780, 900. 600; yield per acre, 1913
Cotton seed-Acres, "a, 319, 500; bushels
500, POI, 900; yield per acre, 14.9 ushel
Surely, in view of these figures the
cotton seed deserves attention as such,
Independently of the cotton fibre"
He farther states that there is "a
known latent value in the cotton seed
crop of 5000. 600. 900, equal to 4 cents per
pound of the entire cotton crop, which
is still annually lost" That is amaz-
ing if true. Why shall not the south
grow far more prosperous? 1t has
great capabilities and possibilities for
farming generally, n in the cotton
crop-including the seed-there is sure
" a great future in money-making.
The cotton seed oil mills nave for some
years been excellently remunerative,
and now we are told that h yield Of
the cotton seed is greater to the acre.
and of higher value than wheat itself.