The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1902-10-04
THE ADVANTAGES WHICH ACCRUE
TO THE FARMER
Some Of the Profit He Realizes by the
Establishment of Cotton Seed Oil Mills.


large part of the products OF the oil
mills is now returned to the farm and
practically all OF 1t in some form can
be utilized.
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 q basis OF barter and ex-
change, IL 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 its 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, 1t 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. c. 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
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 it from be-
S round fsS thousands l" of i'0V tons A'o'ses of
seed dumped on the commons, and
placed under guard to prevent the
COWS from eating them, as they were
regarded
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 It's 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 or the interesting features of this
development. The fattenng OF cattle
in the South for market, outside, per-
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 fatteninr
cattle profitable. 1t has been chemi.
cally demonstrated, sustained by prac-
tical tests that the droppings from cat
tie fed on cotton seed meal is equal in
feeding value to the meal itself applied
directly to the land. No other feed
has any such comparative value.
When this is considered, the immense
advantages derived by the farmers
from the establishment OF cotton seed
oil mills is realized even If no other
benefits accrue, but when the abund-
ance and cheapness of hulls is consid-
cred, and their value to the farmer
and feeder recognized, some idea is
given Of the splendid work and advan-
tages the other mills have accom-
plished towards the development of
Southern agriculture.
In almost any season, regardless of
the price Of seed and products, the
mills of the Southern Cotton Oil Mill
Company Of the Carolinas and Georgia
will give back to the farmers all of the
meal and hulls produced from the seed
in exchange for the seed, reserving
only the oil, and small amount of short
lint to cover transportation charges,
cost Of working, interest on investment
and profits. No more liberal division
OF the profits between manufacturers
and consumer has ever been accom-
plished. 1t makes the business CO.
operative, returning to the farmer all
that Is OF any value to him, in a great
ly improved condition, and consequent
leaving with the mill only that part
OF the seed universally regarded as de-
trtmental in its natural condition,
either as feed or fertilizer. from
expenses, including cost of working.
The oil Is converted at fhe refineries
In Savannah Into pure and whole
some substitutes for lard, known as
"falmatina" and "Snowdrift," and is
given back to the consumers table as
deiicacy at low price, or as a pure
cooking oil, az Wesson Cooking Oil.
The refuse or waste from the refined
oil Is made into q soap, and sold back
at cost that places 1t in the reach OF
quilts, pillows and mattresses and sold
At price that makes 1t possible for
the bedrooms of the humbest cottage
to be comfortably furnished.
tened on hulls and meal. every effort
should be made to secure good beef
producing breeds. A prominent and
successful packer is authority for The
statement that the improved breeds
will sell on foot for three times as
much as the common stock.
The consumption of beef in the South
far exceeds any previous period. 1t
can be met by home production If
Southern farmers will use all the hulls
and meal made by the oil mills with
out drawing on the West At present
only about one-fourth Of the cotton
seed meal is consumed where it Is pro-
duced for feeding and fertilizing crops,
the balance finding a market either i'm
Europe or in the Eastern or Western
States.
The cotton oil Industry has been do