The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-08-22
BY 5. A. ARMSTRONG.


Though only one acre out of every sew
enteen in the South is planted in cotton.
this section produces 50 per cent OF the
worlds supply, and is the only area on
the globe whose climate and soil are per-
feotly adapted to cotton production.
Last year the South grew 1872. 900
bales OF the staple. which sold at an av-
erage price OF 9lk cents per pound. OF an
aggregate price OF S7l6,352. 265 Thirty
years ago the aggregate price Of the cot
ton baled in a season would have repre-
scented the total value OF that years crop.
but this great monopoly OF the Souths
has now become an industry OF many
phases II the white fleece, the cotton
Itself. were unstable. cotton seed alone
would make the fortune OF the Southern
States
Cntil within comparatively recent years
cotton gins were built over streams. IN
order that the cotton seed. whi,h was
considered so much refuse. might be car
ried of by the water. To-day the cotton
seed mill stands side by side with the
cotton gin. and the manufacture OF cot
ton seed oil and meal has become
source Of tremendous revenue TO the
South.
Yields Much Crude OIL.
Cotton seed Yields from p 70 IS per cent
CT crude oil. which when refined becomes
a clear yellow and odorless liquid. About
one-third Of our crude oil Is shipped an
nually TO French rehneries and returns to
America labeled olive oil. The remaining
two-thirds when refined. is used for the
making OF oleOnlargarine comprises nine
tenths Of the salad oil used In the United
states. and is sold In enormous quantities
for cooking purposes. Indeed, Of the
worlds three cooking fats. olive oil. lard.
and cotton seed OIL. this last is far the
cheapest and Is altogether wholesome.
From the residue left by the refining
process are manufactured washing pow
ders. the enormous sales OF which
throughout thesUnlted States have greatly
increased the value OF cotton seed.
During the past six or eight years.
says an expert, "the average annual per-
manent Increase in the value OF the $780,
Oo0 tons OF cotton seed produced in the
South has been at least $50000.000 and
within the next FIVE 10 ten years we shall
see an Increase of at least $3.50. 100000"
Mr.. Daniel j. Sully. I'm a recent article
on cotton, written for the Cosmopolitan
Magazine. SAYS:
During the civil war. when the port OF
New Orleans was blockaded. the export
OF cotton seed cake was prevented, and Il
was used for fuel in the Southern town.
The hulls. at considerable expense and ef-
fort. were dumped on vacant areas I'm the
suburbs. There were herds OF cattle
grazing in the neighborhood. and the
owners, sharing an old prejudice that cot
hal
ployed a line TO keep the herds away
from the dangerous banquet But the
cotton blockade made foOdStuT scarce.
and as q last resort the lean Gnd hungry
cattle were permitted 10 browse on the
forbidden huls. The herds got fat
HuIIs Feed Cattle.
Each ton OF cotton seed Yields 500 or 900
pounds Of hulls and these make the rich
est and most nutritious cattle feed-a feed
so easily produced that no agricultural
pursuit in the South could offer greater
possibilities than cattle raising In every
1000 pounds OF seed there are also 732
pounds Of cotton seed meal valuable for
feeding and as a fertilizer
From the stalk Is obtained a fiber valu-
able in the manufacture Of gunny cloths.
and when the extensive experiments now
being made to manufacture paper from
cotton stalks succeeds another source Of
tremendous revenue will be added.
In 1890 there were IN existence over 800
cotton seed mills, representing an invest
ment Of s34.5OoCOO An idea OF the increase
since 1900 in the number Of cotton seed
mills and the amount OF capital invested
may be gained from the fact that "a
manufacturing concern in Atlanta. Ga,
WI - ~af 10
cotton seed oil machinery in the world
has earned in the last nine years land
these figures are guaranteed by the Amer
lean Audit Company, OF New York; GOO
per cent on its capitals per cent In the
year ended March /, 1905"
Worth Millions Of Dollars.
The cotton seed crop Of the South.
manufactured into oil and used as feed
and fertilizer. is worth annually many
millions of dollars, and would alone guar
antee tremendous profit IN the raising OF
the crop. But it is not until we remember
the stupendous figures Of the sale and
manufacture Of raw cotton that we grasp
the wonders OF cotton and the meaning
&C the Souths monopoly on a commodity
which clothes the world.
Each year the value Of raw cotton ex-
ports 70 foreign shores brings over 500
100000 TO the cOttOn-gTowing States. while
our sales TO New England mills amount
20 over S2.OOO,cOO, the remainder of the
crop being manufactured in Southern
mills.
The brightest star in the horizon OF the
Souths Industrial future Is the expansion
Of the cotton manufacturing industry IN
the South. In this connection II is inter.
esting to recall a speech made some years
ago in New York by Richard II. Ed
monds, of Baltimore. II at that time his
words sounded visionary, the steady in
crease in both production and Southern
manufacturing has proved the practical
wisdom or his utterance Said Mr.. Ed
monds:
It Is not TO be expected that the South
VIII ever manufacture its entire cotton
production, for when Il has reached the
point where It consumes in it's own mills
the IO'oOOoOO bales, which now measure it's
average crop. the world will be demand
Ing OF II, and il VIII meet the worlds de-
fnands for. probably 2OO00000 bales But
the utilization in its own mills OF 100000
Dales would mean the employment OF
l,VeVO operatives. the investment in
mills, textile machinery, building plants.
and kindred enterprises OF not less than
sz'VVV'Ooo.Oco, and the annual output would
be worth S2,0O0.0oO.OO0. 4