524 BOTANY OF CROP PLANTS 



known as "linters," which is not removed in ginning, is 

 taken from the seeds and made into coarse twine, carpets, 

 and batting. 



Cottonseed Hulls. — These are used in the manufacture of 

 paper and fiber board from which are made gear wheels, 

 trunks, etc. The hulls are also utihzed as fuel and fertilizer, 

 and as a cattle food. 



Cottonseed Oil. — This is one of the most valuable products 

 of the cotton plant. The oil of the seed is in the embryo. 

 After the seed coats are removed, the embryos ("meats"), 

 are cooked for twenty to thirty minutes to melt the oil, and 

 to drive off some of the water. The oil is then extracted 

 under pressure. A ton of seed yields about 40 gallons of 

 crude oil. Various grades of cottonseed oil are secured by 

 different processes of refining and filtering. 



Cottonseed oil is now produced in large quantities in this 

 country. The United States exported 35,304,000 gallons 

 of the oil in 1 9 13. It is used for edible purposes, appearing 

 on the market usually under some such name as "sweet nut 

 oil," "salad oil," or "table oil." It may be utilized as an 

 adulterant of such oils as peanut and olive oils. However, 

 it is fully as nutritive as olive oil and is actually preferred 

 by many. It is used sometimes in the manufacture of soaps. 

 It is also extensively employed in the manufacture of "oleo- 

 margarine," and butter and lard substitutes. "Cottolene" 

 is composed of refined cottonseed oil and beef suet. 



Cottonseed Meal.— Cottonseed meal is the ground cake 

 left after the oil is pressed from cotton seed. It is now used 

 extensively as a feed, although formerly it was considered 

 of little value. United States produces annually about 

 2,000,000 tons of cottonseed meal, valued at about $53,000,- 

 000. The death of animals sometimes associated with its 

 use is due to a toxic substance, gossypol. Cottonseed 



