Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-12-10
THE POTENTIALITIES OF THE
COTTON SEED OIL INDUSTRY

The magnitude OF the cotton seed oil
industry is not appreciated at its face
value. This is due to the fact that few
people have taken the time and oppor-
tunity 70 investigate the record OF
growth made by this business and its
effect on our agricultural development.
oil is thought TO have been FIRST used
for lighting purposes. The people OF
India probably crushed the seed many
centuries before the dawn OF Christian
fty in a crude sort OF press and extract
ed therefrom q small per cent OF the
oil which was used for lighting pur-
poses Il is known that the early col
onists from Virginia through the caro-
linas 70 Georgia first used the oil ex-
tracted from the seed for a similar
purpose. Oil was apparently the nrst
by-product 10 be taken from the, seed,
FOR Il Is only in recent times that the
use OF the meal for the maintenance
of live stock has taken on any con-
siderable proportions. AS late as 1850,
for instance. there were only about
fortv-one mills crushing seed in the
south with an output valued at about
s.. 56OO 900 annually. In 1911 there were
Ssr mills in the south credited with
crushing 4s21.8Ts tons Of seed The
mills paid the farmers for this seed.
s1s1.s4o.0e0. and there was extracted
from. II 3ol.s5o.o0o gallons OF oil 2
Isl 900 tons OF cake and meal. 1,642.0OO
tons OF huIIs. and 5ss.osS 50o-pound
bales OF Ifnters. These figures show a
marvellous transformation within Pc
riod OF thirty years. and indicate that
the sale OF the seed 10 the mills has
made II possible for the farmer to Sc
cure a return OF about $3.50 per acre
for what was not long ago considered
little better than a waste product.
The total amount OF seed produced
in 1911 was s.ssT.00o tons twill thus
be seen that more than 100000 tons
were retained on the farms. No doubt
a GOOD proportion OF this seed was
used directly for fertilizing purposes,
and some OF IL was no doubt fed TO
live stock The largest return the far
naer could hope TO secure out OF the
seed used for fertilizer was less than
s1I per ton at current prices for COM
rnprcfal plant food II the seed had
been sold 10 the mill or exchanged for
meal. a product worth SIS per ton for
fertiIizing purposes could have been
obtained. Hence. il is very poor econ
omy to use seed for fertilizing pur-
poses when there Is a good demand for
"a al fairly remunerative prices. To
serious mistake. as II contains too much
oil 20 be satisfactory for this purpose
Tf the seed Is fed II should at least
~ steamed or roasted. and this Is both
n troublesome and expensive undertake
ing. Even then when fed exclusively
"a dairy cows an inferior quality OF but
ter Is obtained and no class Of farm
stock can be, kent IN good condition
or fed economically on seed alone
Therefore. the practice OF feeding II
should be Discontinued not only for the
sake 81 the animals consuming II. but
N order that the farmer NAV secure
he largest possible return from his
is.fsors.
IT 1at1. ss.ooo.oO0 acres Of land were
devoted to the cultivation OF cotton in
the United States. II one bushel OF
seed were used on each acre OF land
II would not require more than 100000
tons TO plant the area indicated. This
would leave 100000 tons Of seed
which might still have been used
trrourh commercial channels. This
seed at the AVERAGE price II $3.50 uer
ton Maid last year would have brought
20 the farmers more than $4,000 000
fn cash. and thew would have obtained
~ this transaction a margin OF nearly
IS above the fertilizins value OF the
seed The farmers Of the south. would
have been st3o00.o0o better off had