Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-12-27

livery year the oil mills OF the SoOln
manufacture considerable quantities OF
dark or -or color cotton seed meal.
When meal is made from choice. clean
and well-matured seed. il is OF a char
acteristic bright golden color. When
IN this condition IL is ideal. OF course,
for any purpose to which IL may be
adapted in the nourishment of the live
stock kept on the average farm As it
departs from this standard the question
naturally arises as to whether Il can be
used with safety. This is a matter Of
considerable importance because as all
know who have had experience. the seed
varies from year 10 year in quality, as
10 content OF nitrogen. per cent OF mois-
ture and the degree OF maturity attain
ed In the field. Wet seasons. such as
that experienced during the past fall,
make IL hard for the farmer and the
mill man alike TO handle his seed TO the
best advantage. the unusual degree OF
moisture tending to cause the seed to
heat very easily and favoring the de-
velopment on that account Of molds.
OF course. there are many variations
and grades OF dark meal Some may
be very slightly on and some almost
black. There is considerable variation
in the color OF meal due largely to the
method OF manufacture. as the writer
understands il. In some mills there is
employed what is known as the contin-
u0us cooking process. and this natural
" produces a meal darker tnan is OBJ
tanned BY the employment OF some other
methods There is no reason to believe
that meal manufactured by the contin-
nous cooking process is not wholesome
though the proteins may and probably
ARE rendered somewhat less digesaole
fhan where the meal is made by otner
processes. II Is important TO investi-
gate carefully the cause OF any varia-
ton in color from the standard of the
highest grade OF meal produced under
the most favorable circumstances
II the dark color OF the meal should
be due. as is no doubt often true. to
the extended heating Of the seed in
which mOlds may develop. its use for
the nutrition Of live stock would be
very inadvisabIe The so-called menin-
gifts in horses which proved so de-
structive in certain parts OF the eoun-
try last summer has been found trace
able in practically every instance TO
the use OF damaged feed. and particu-
larry moldy or rotten feed. In some in
stances. the molds appear to have de-
vel0ped in pastures as the result or
excessive rains following a protracted
drouth or vice versa In any case, dam
may be. and particularly that containing
nioIds. is unit for the nutrition of live
stock and should not be used for this
purpose under any circumstances BY the
farmer The trouble referred 10, name
~ meningitis in horses. has been sue
cessfuIIy treated only in those instances
where the use OF the damaged feed was
at once discovered and Immediately
eliminated frozs the ration The impor-
~ -w11r~ al
~@ss-s~oEhe feed can not be emphasized
TOO strongly. There are some who seem
70 think that IL damaged feed Of any
kind be mixed with a large proportion
of wholesome feed that no injury is
likely TO result In this they are very
much mistaken. as has been proven re-
peatedly BY the experience Of farmers
who have tried this experiment and
lost heavily thereby.
From the foregoing il would appear
that clean. bright cotton seed neal Is
preferable to any other kind for the
nutrition OF live stock in general This
class OF meal may be fed with safety
to beef and dairy cattle, to calves six
months OF age or older. and to horses
and mules 1t hardly seems possible that
meal OF this kind could be made I'M
less the seed were well matured and
free from molds- The farmer can there
fore feed meal OF this greae with Satis-
faction and with most excellent results.
Naturally. he must use IL with discre-
ton and in reasonable quantity. A
great many cases Of sickness are no
doubt attributed to meal which is whole
some in all respects. but which has
been fed with indiscretion. Meal which
is slightly of in color due possibly TO
little overlooking or something OF that
character can no doubt often be fed
with some considerable measure OF sue
cess and without running any Great risk.
Certainly. II the discoloratic- observed
is due only to the cooking process,
there IS no reason why il should not
be utilized under certain limitations as
iwsOrerfo. theOmu-P etaOi VI cfgwyeta
as foodstuf Where seed has been al
lowed to heat. either before delivery
to the mill or after raching the mill,
the meal derived therefrom should not
be used for feed. While the heating pro-
cess itself is not likely to inture the
meal derived therefrom for the nutrition
OF farm animals. IL the heating Is GER
nitted TO continue for a sufficient length
OF time. the content of nitrogen will
likely be reduced. This would affect the
grade OF the meal and probably its d.
gestfbility. though IL could no doubt be
bought at price low enough to justify