286 COTTON 



product of this manufacture rather than primary 

 objects. But so valuable have these two commod- 

 ities become that their importance is now even 

 greater than that of the oil itself. 



Oil as it leaves the press is known as crude oil, 

 and has not a great many uses until it passes through 

 the refinery for the completion of the manufac- 

 turing process. While we can have a number of 

 oil mills and while these may be small in size, the 

 refining mill is so complicated as to be very expen- 

 sive, difficult of operation, with running expenses 

 further heightened because costly labor must be 

 used. But we do not need so many refineries. 

 The great bulk of the raw seed necessitates a large 

 number of oil mills, not only because of money 

 saved in freight, but because of the fact that with 

 many local mills the farmers can readily dispose of 

 their seed or secure meal in exchange for them. 



Oil, on the other hand, is a very concentrated 

 \ product. From a ton of seed something like forty 

 gallons of oil are obtained. It readily follows that 

 the oil contained in a great number of tons of cotton 

 seed can be transported in the same bulk space as is 

 required for one ton of raw seed. 



So from all directions in the State crude oil may 

 go to some one or more central points to be refined, 

 and from these points distributed for manufacture 

 into commercial products. 



In the process of getting oil in its crude form two 

 products result: crude oil proper, and the settlings 

 or " foots" as they are called. The first named 

 product is drawn off and goes to the refining tank, 

 from whence it is barreled for shipment. The 

 settlings usually go back to heater tanks and are 

 either pressed again or barreled and shipped as 

 soap stock. 



