The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1902-10-01
THE ADVANTAGES WHICH ACCRUE
TO THE FARMER.
Some of the Profit He Realizes by the
Establishment of Cotton Seed Oil Mills.

No manufacturing industry stands
so close to the farmer as the cotton
seed oil mills. The interest of the two
are mutual and inseparable. A very
large part of the products Of the OIL
mills is now returned to- the farm and
practically ali of it in some form can
be utilized.
The mill provides profitable market
for the surplus seed, and returns the
product to the farmer, with greatly
enhanced value in finished condition.
While the larger part of the business
between the mill and the farmer is
conducted on basis of barter and ex-
change, it does not actually differ
much in results from the toll system OF
the corn mill.
The oil mill purchases the seed In
the open market, and sells it's products
in the same way, but ultimately, all
Of the hulls and meal should get back
to the farms from which the seed were
shipped. While this is now the result
in many cases, it is not as common or
general as the practice should be. EV-
cry pound of these two products pro
duced in the South should be returned
to the land, either as fertilizer ap-
piled direct, or stock feed, the latter
much to be preferred, as their value
in that way is immensely Increased.
About 1880 cotton seed oil mill was
established at Columbia, S. G. The
historian of the time only considered 1t
of sufficient Importance to congratu-
late the "public-spirited" citizen who
had enterprise enough to establish the
business, but did make the further
comment that the owner expressed
from cotton seed a very fair grade Of
edible OIL" No further reference is
made to this beginning Of the busi-
ness, and it can only be inferred that
the improper handling Of the product,
or the prejudices Of the people against
this edible OIL" prevented it from be-
ing successful. In 1850 Aldlgee
found thousands of tons OF
seed dumped on the commons, and
placed under guard to prevent the
COWS from eating them, as they were
regarded as poisonous to cattle.
From such conditions has grown a
magnificent industry that has added
millions to the value Of Southern
farms, increased the traffic Of the rail-
roads, established an immense foreign
trade with this country, earned fair
returns for its promoters, while giving
employment to thousands Of men at
remunerative wages, many of whom
otherwise would be idle at the season
when their work is required at the
mills.
In all Of this development the great
est benefits have been derived by the
farmers. The mills have taken the seed
which prior to their establishment.
We're either lost entirely or wastefully
used, and converted them into valuable
products, easily and economically
handled, resulting in the cheaper pro-
duction of crops, and increased yields
per acre.
Raising and fattening cattle has been
one Of the interesting features of this
development. The fattening of cattle
in the South for market, outside. per-
haps of the Texas ranges was un-
known before the extensive use Of cot
ton seed hulls and meal. At present,
almost every neighborhood is raising
a few head of cattle for the butcher
on this feed, and in many sections,
numbers Of cattle are being fattened
in this way. AS this business increases
it will be followed by the erection Of
packing houses in the South with all
the advantages of such industries.
Any landowner can make fattening
cattle profitable. 1t has been chemi-