Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1920-10-20
THE COTTON SEED SITUATION.
Causes Must be Considered Before a
Remedy is Suggested.
(Southern Ruralist.)

When the market for any agricul-
tural product becomes disorganized
it Is difficult to offer a satisfactory
solution to the situation. In such
instances it is we'll to consider causes
before attempting to suggest rem
edy. The low price now being Of
fered for cotton seed is extremely dis
appointing to Southern farmers. The
large importation Of oriental oils is
somewhat responsible for the pre-
vailing condition. Not only are the
farmers suffering losses, but many
concerns that have large investments
in oils are strained almost to the
breaking point.
Before determining to feed cotton
seed in their raw state to live stock
or use them as fertilizer, it is we'll
TO consider their value in comparison
with other sources Of feed and fertil-
iZer. At the time Of the preparation
Of this article mills are Offering $40
4 ton for seed from the wagons and
*'f q wi l. ". W. polhl III
car lots; or they will exchange on d
basis of 200 pounds standard cotton
seed meal for ton Of seed.
The value of this product as feed
is determined largely by it's protein
content. Cotton seed contains 12.J
per cent dieestible protein; whereas,
toll 10 tot
cent. The oil and linters are Of prac-
tically no value to cattle. so we are
led to conclude that one pound of
meal is worth more than two pounds
Of seed. When we consider the fact
that when the seed are fed the oil is
a total loss, and that by exchanging
as indicated above there Is q gain in
feeding value, we do not hesitate to
advise against the feeding Of the
whole seed, except in extreme cases
where there Is long haul to market.
Nitrogen is the principal fertilizer
element in cotton seed and meal.
Standard cotton seed meal contains
6.1S per cent nitrogen, whereas seed
contains about 3 per cent. So, IL the
seed are used rs fertilizer we again
sustain total loss Of the oil, which
has no fertilizer value. Meal COM
pares favorably in price with other
nitrogen carriers at this time, BY
using nitrate Of soda and other car
riers we can obtain nitrogen at about
3 cents per pound, while the nitro
gen in cotton seed meal will cost prac-
tically 81 cents. 1t should be borne
in mind that the meal also contains
2.5 per cent phosphorous and ] 5 per
cent potash. Furthermore, meal has
the advantage Of the seed as a nitro
gen carrier in that 1t can be more
readily distributed The seed when
used as fertilizer. germinate and the
plants get in the way OF the grow
ing crops. A great many farmers pre-
vent this by making composts. If
the compost gets hot enough to xiii
the seed germ there is certain to be
heavy loss Of nitrogen.
After all, the sanest program
would be to feed the meal to live
stock, carefully conserving the ma
nure. BY this process at least Is per
cent Of the fertilizer value in the
meal is returned to the soil, and n
profit should be realized on the feed
ing operation. Some may claim that
the seed compare more favorably
with the meal as fertilizer than the
analysis would indicate. 1t Is true
that by applying seed we get more
organic matter. but If the meal is fed
TO live stock and the manure return