384 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



show the percentage of meats, lint, oil, ammonia, and moisture con- 

 tent in the seed. Forty-five thousand anlyses of seed grown during 

 the past six years have been collected. These analyses were compiled 

 and the average amount of moisture contained in cotton seed was de- 

 termined. Whenever possible, it has been pointed out to those in- 

 terested in buying and selling cotton seed that the moisture content 

 may be determined quickly, accurately, and cheaply at the cottonseed- 

 oil mill, and that cotton seed should be graded and stored on the 

 moisture-content basis, as this principally determines its keeping 

 qualities. 



STUDY OF COOPERATIVE OIL MILLS. 



A number of cooperative oil mills have been visited and studies 

 have been made of their organization and operation. In this connec- 

 tion a study also was made of a cooperative compress company and of 

 a cooperative marketing association connected with a cooperative 

 oil mill. From these investigations, it has been found that certain 

 cooperative cottonseed-oil mills properly organized and conducted 

 have netted the farmers about 25 per cent more for their seed than 

 they could have obtained in the open market. 



USES OF COTTONSEED PRODUCTS. 



One hundred and twenty-four uses have been found for cottonseed 

 products and by-products, and a chart has been drafted showing their 

 derivation. For other than culinary purposes the by-products of 

 cottonseed oil are used extensively for soap and washing powders, 

 and, to some extent, for making such commodities as putty, candles, 

 insulating material, paint, composition roofing, linoleum, and artifi- 

 cial leather. It is found that the process of manufacturing vegeta- 

 ble lard from hydrogenated cottonseed oil has been greatly im- 

 proved and its market has been extended. Cottonseed meal is used 

 principally as a cattle feed and for fertilizing purposes. Linters 

 and cottonseed-hull fiber are now being used to a great extent in the 

 preparation of cellulose, from which pyroxylin is manufactured. 

 Pyroxylin is used in the manufacture of celluloid, collodion, var- 

 nishes, artificial silk, moving picture films, etc. 



Cellulose is also made into guncotton or nitrocellulose, and is the 

 base of the different kinds of smokeless powder, cordite, and other 

 high explosives. Questionnaires were sent to manufacturers of ex- 

 plosives for the purpose of determining more definitely the extent to 

 which linters are now being used for this purpose. While the returns 

 are not yet complete they indicate, as do available figures of the 

 Bureau of the Census, that the supply of linters for the present sea- 

 son has not yet been exhausted. This may be taken as presumptive 

 evidence that the reports to the ejffect tliat several millions of bales 

 of cotton of good staple would be used this year for the manufacture 

 of propulsive ammunition are much exaggerated. 



MARKETING LIVE STOCK. MEATS, AND ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS. 



This work became a separate project at the beginning of this fiscal 

 year, it having been reported last j^ear under the general heading of 

 Marketing Animal Products. 



