The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-06-29

forthcoming census bureaus bulletin
In. on cotton production for 1910, it
is stated prior TO the introduction OF
OF, mills. cotton seed was considered
practically worthless except for plant
ing. With the exception OF small
! quantities used as fertilizer and as
, feed. 1t was for the most part dumped
in remote places to rot or was thrown
! into running streams. practices which
! in time became a menace TO health as
/ to call for legislative regulation in
some states. Within comparatively
short period however, that which was
/ formerly looked upon as a waste has
been utilized. furnishing a wholesome
food product. valuable ieedstuff, and
many other useful products.
The manufacture Of cotton seed
products on a commercial scale had
its beginning in England, and as late
as 1870 that country, with an annual
crush of POO, 600 tons, was the leading
cotton seed oil producing country in
the world Owing. however to the
heating and consequent determination
to which cotton seed is liable in
transit and in storage, a tendency nat
urally developed to locate the oil mills
as near as practicable TO the sources
OF seed supply This tendency, to-
gether with the varied and increasing
uses for the products, accounts in At
large measure for the phenomenal
growth of the industry in the United
States. The annual crush Of cotton
seed in this country is now nearly A.
100000 tons.
Prior to 1840.
I'm the United States few mills had
been built prior to 1910, but as late
a, 1850 there We're only seven operat-
ing. and in 1870 only 2G. Since then
the increase in the number of mills
has been steady and rapid, until at
the census of 1910 the number return
ed as having crushed seed during the
preceding year was $40. The increase
in the number OF mills crushing cot
ten seed has been much greater IN
recent years than the increase in the
quantity of seed crushed. Formerly
the mills were generally located at
railroad centers. had large capacity,
and secured their seed from wide
areas. In later years, however, the
demand for cotton seed products ana
the enterprise of business men in the
smaller towns have resulted in the
erection of many small mills and that
demand almost entirely upon the To-
cal seed supply. and thus serve the
double purpose Of creating local
market for the seed and providing
cheaper feed stufs than were avail
able when freight and other charges
were involved.
Increase in establishments.
Between 1899 and 1909 the number,
Of establishments engaged in crush
ing cotton seed increased from 351
to $40, or 127 per cent. and the quaint
itv Of seed crushed increased from
, i7q.SSG tons to 3,S2L3ol tons, or 81
per cent.
The quantity Of seed crushed in
C. eased in every state. with the sin
gle exception of Louisiana, where
25o,9SS tons were crushed in 1899 and
155.5lS tons in 1909. In Georgia and
in South Carolina the quantity crush
ed more than doubled and in Oklaho
ma Il more than rebled. In Tennea-
see the Increase in the crush was
small. while in Texas the gain
amounted to 81 per cent.
The average crush OF mills report
ing amounted to G,945 tons in 1899,
compared with 4,GG6 tons in 1904 and
i.725 tons in 1903. The reduction in
the average crush per establishment
drring the first half Of the decade was
due very largely TO the erection OF
mills in the smaller towns which are
close to the seed supply. while for
merry much the larger number OF
mills we're located at railroad center5
and secured their seed from wide
areas. Recently, however, there has
been "A slight increase in some states
in the average crush per mill. due to
the fact that the high price OF seed
las resulted in the crushing of lars
er percentage of the seed produced.
During the decade falling off in the
average crush per mill has occurred
throughout the state Of the cotton belt
with the exception OF Oklahoma and
South Carolina, in both Of which the
average was somewhat larger in 1909
tuau In 1899. The most notable re-
ducticn was in Louisiana, wnere the
average per establishment decreased
fIpm II 40 tons 10 3-gi ions This