The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-02-18
The Prostitution of Cot
ton Seed.
VALUE OF COTTON SEED MEAL
FOR STOCK FEED.
Prof. Andrew Nj. Soule Pre-
sents at Length Some Facts
and Figures Concerning the
Use Of Cotton Seed-Too
Much Wasted in Using in
the Natural State for Feed
ing or Fertilizing Purposes.

Baltimore Manufacturers Record
What becomes of our annual crop
OF cotton seed is n question well
worthy OF our earnest consideration.
In 1907 it appears that we produced
5,912,646 tons of seed. OF this
amounts B, S43, 9S1 tons were crushed,
and there was obtained therefrom
115, ,724 $40 gallons OF oil and l.
7S5, ,SO4 tons of meal. Apparently,
2.O6S,66 tons OF seed were con-
sumed on the farms where they were
grown. Only small fraction OF this
amount was used for seed, however,
40 the balance must either have been
fed or used directly as fertilizer. If
used rs feed or fertilizer, it would not
have half as much value per ton as
cotton seed meal. Yet these 2,06S,-
60 tons of seed contain on a low
estimate 40 gallons of oil each, or n
total of S.274, 100, worth, at 40
cents a gallon, $33, ,09S, 800. In
,, other words, this enormous sum OF
money was worse than wasted, for
the oil is of no service whatever in
plant production, being, ii ifanything,
a detriment. Fortunately, it does
not deplete the fertility OF the land,
as oil consists OF carbon, hydrogen,
oxygen, elements of plant nutrition
obtained directly or indirectly from
the air and soil
But why this enormous needless
annual waste? Surely this is sum OF
money well worth saving, and would
we not be infinitely better off to send
these two million and more tons of
cotton seed to the oil mills every
! year and exchange them for
/ cotton seed meal, with it's high
feeding and fertilizing value? To H.
lustrate the point, let us cite the fact
that Al ,SS0,3 gallons OF oil were
exported during the fiscal year 1907.
This oil brought an average of 40 8
cents a gallon, or $17,O74, ,4O3. Dur
ing the same year 670,4S4 tons OF
cotton seed meal and cake were ex-
ported, at an average value OF
$25.45 per ton, making in all about
$17,O62, ,594. The oil exported took
with it no plant food; the cotton
seed meal and cake exported carried
away on the basis of Is cents a
pound for nitrogen, 6 cents for
phosphoric acid and 16 cents for
potash, more than $40 per ton oi
plant food, or $40, ,114.52O. In
other words, we received $3,O51 ,92G
less for our cotton seed meal than
the plant food contained in it was
worth, and yet it has been demon
strated over and over that ton ol
cotton seed meal is worth more for
the nutrition of certain classes OF live
stock than almost any concentrate
which can be purchased and utilized
by the farmer.
Cotton seed meal must certainly
have q high feeding value, or else the
discriminating farmers OF Great Brit.
ain and Europe would not use it SC
freely. That they appreciate its vir.
tues is shown by the lavish way in
which they buy it In 1895, for in.
stance, the amount of cotton seed
meal exported was pa 1858 tons
which brought at that time S17 a
ton. The figures quoted show that
it brought in 1907 $25.45, or an in.
crease Of $S.45 per ton. Instead o
the increased price reducing the con.
sumption, the above figures show
that almost three times as much
cotton seed meal was exported ir
1907 as in 1895. Where does this
cotton seed meal go? is naturally al
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