The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-10-15
the ADVANTAGES WHICH ACCRUE
TO THE EARMER
Some Of the Profit tie Realizes by the
Establishment Of Cotton Seed OH Mllls.

No manufacturing industry stands
80 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 IL now returned to the farm and
practically all OF 1t In some form can
The mill provides q profitable market
for the surplus seed, and returns the
product to the farmer. with greatly
enhanced value In a finished condition.
While the larger part Of the business
between the mill and the farmer ID
conducted on basis Of barter and ex-
change, II does not actually diner
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, II Is not as common or
general az the practice should be. Ev-
cry pound Of these two products pro-
duced In the South should be returned
to the land. either az fertilizer ap-
piled direct, or stock feed, the latter
much to be preferred. as their value
In that way is immensely Increased.
established at Columbia, s. c. The
historian Of the time only considered II
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 II can only be inferred that
the improper handling Of the product.
or the prejudices of the people against
this edible oil" prevented 1t from be-
ing successful. In 1860 Aldigee
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 al 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.
were 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 befoSe the extensive use Of cot
ton seed hulls and meal. At present.
almost every neishborhood 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
1t 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. It has been chemi-