Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-12-21
COTTON SEED AS CATTLE FOOD

anu CdTTleu.
COTTON SEED AS CATTLE FOOD.
Important Information That II OF
Practical Interest.
DR.. r. A. Bratton, of Yorkville, has
called the attention Of THE ENoUIREF
to some unusually valuable practica
information on the subject Of cottor
seed. This information Is to be found
in Farmers Bulletin, No. 9S, issued by
the agricultural department at Wash
ington. In the hope that the same will
get general and careful attention In this
section, what seems to be the most in
teresting portion Of the bulletin, is here
with reproduced:
Cotton. Cotton Seed, Hu1ls, and Cot.
ton Seed Meal.
Prof. B. w. Kilgore, state chemist
and professor of chemistry, Agricultu-
raj college, Mississippi. pointed out the
great value of cotton seed and its pro-
ducts for feed and other purposes.
He said that Mississippi produced
about 100000 bales Of cotton during
each of the past two years. Cotton as
1t is picked yields little. less than one
third lint and a little more than two
thirds seed. A cotton crop Of l.600,0 ,00(
bales. therefore, gives about 100000
tons of seed, which Is $4,000 tons, or 4t
per cent. short Of 100000 bushe'
corn crop for the state.
One ton $4,000 pounds) Of cotton seed
when treated at an oil mill, yields
about 725 pounds meal, 1000 pounds
hulls, linters, etc., and 275 pounds OF
oil-37 gallons.
Cotton-seed hulls are used as fuel In
the engines of oil mills, and very large
ly as food for cattle. They are worth
from one-half to two-thirds as much as
grass hay and are an excellent and
handy diluent with which to feed cot
ton seed meal. Hundreds Of thousands
Of cattle and large numbers. Of sheep
are each winter fattened on hulls and
meal at and in the vicinity Of the oil
mills of the south. Milk cows are also
fed on rations made UP largely Of hulls
and meal. The rations fed to fattening
cattle are to pounds at first, which
are gradually increased to 6, s, and even
10 pounds per head per day and all the
hulls the animals will eat. The proper
tions have varied from to pounds of
hulls to 1 pound Of meal. the best re-
suits having been obtained on to
pounds of hulls to Of meal. For long
feeding periods and rapid gains this is
a most excellent ration.
Numerous experiments have shown
that cotton seed meal produces in the
same rations more and cheaper beef
than the same amount Of corn meal,
and generally more than wheat bran,
linseed meal, and the other concentra-
ted feeds. Cotton-seed meal stands at
the head Of concentrated feeds. This
Is sweeping statement, but the ex-
priments are numerous and the evil
dence upon which 1t Is based Is abund-
ant.
In four years experiments at the
Pennsylvania experiment station. mix
lures Of corn meal and cotton seed with
coarse foods produced better and cheap
er gains than corn meal alone with the
same coarse foods, cotton-seed meal re-
placing more than its own weight of
corn meal in the rations and producing
the amount of food required to produce
a pound Of gain.
At the Texas station. in three years
experiments in fattening 16O Texas
steers and cows on cotton-seed pro-
ducts on different rations, in compari-
son with each other and with corn, the
obtained results in all cases indicated
the superior feeding qualities Of cotton
seed products over corn. From these
experiments (and large number OF
others might be given) 1t Is seen that
cotton seed meal is better beef pro-
ducer than corn-that given weight of
cotton-seed meal will make more beef
than will an equal weight Of corn or
corn meal OF the large number of
feeding experiments with cotton seed
meal but few are adapted to determin-
ing accurately just how much corn meal
a pound of cotton seed meal Is equal to.
The experiments at the Pennsylvania
station, eight in number, and an exper-
iment now we'll advanced at the Mis-
sissippi station, the result Of which the
director has permitted the use Of with
the understanding that 1t only indicates
what the final result will be, are the
only ones found suited for the purpose
in view.
These nine experiments show that !
pound of cotton seed meal has produc-
ed in the same rations as much beer as
1.34 to 2 pounds Of corn meal, the aver
age being pound of cotton seed to l.1S
pounds Of corn meal.
Though it cannot be said that this ra-
ito Is absolutely correct, or that results
corresponding to this ratio will in all
cases be gotten with these two FOODS,
vet when fed in the best way In combi-
nation with other feeds results reasona-
bly, close to it may be expected.
This ratio-one pound of cotton seed
meal equal in beef-producing value to
1.7S pounds of corn meal-has signifi-
cant meaning in Mississippi. Corn and
cotton seed meal have close to the same
selling price in her markets.
Comparative Value Of Cotton Seed
and Corn.
The cotton seed is not understood In
its home, the south, as it should be-
nor is its feeding value fully apprecia-
ted. Cotton seed is not so readily eaten
TIC nrndnnts esnecially meal New