m THE SOILS AND CEOPS or THE EAUM. 



and healthful article of food its use is unfortunately 

 somewhat surreptitious. 



The kernel after the oil is extracted is about 35 per 

 cent of the seed and is the cotton seed meal or cake 

 used in stock feeding. The cotton seed meal is also 

 used as a fertilizer. It is the source of nitrogen in 

 some commercial fertilizers. The hulls are used for 

 fuel, fertilizer or food for stock. For cattle feeding 

 they are worth about as much as rather poor hay. 



Climate, — The culture of cotton is not only in- 

 creasing both in the- world and in the United States 

 but the extent of its possible production is almost 

 unlimited. It can be cultivated in all inhabited sec- 

 tions of the world lying between parallels of 36 de- 

 grees of latitude north and south. Therein lies the 

 largest land surface of the globe. 



It is now mostly cultivated between parallels 20 de- 

 grees and 35 degrees north latitude. In the United 

 States it is principally cultivated between parallels 

 30 degrees and 35 degrees. Cotton requires hot, clear 

 skies. Rainfall during picking season is very inju- 

 rious. It, therefore, is more largely grown inland. 

 North of the 35th parallel the seasons are too short 

 for economical production. The plant requires four 

 to five months to bring it to maturity, and then there 

 should be two to three months without killing frost 

 for picking. 



Soil. — The area of production in the United States 

 is somewhat restricted in practice by the nature of the 

 soil. The soils mostly used are the river bottom soils, 

 the black or cane-brake lands, the red lands, and the 

 black rolling prairie lands of Texas. Mellow, friable 

 soils which are easily worked by light machinery are 



