FIBER CROPS ( r 



towns with scanty railway facilities and depending for seed upon, 'ipoa? supply. 

 Each class of mills has its advantages. The larger mill has more competition 

 in securing its seed supply, but on the other hand, it can reaJAy draw upon 

 other localities. The expenses incident to operation and marketing o't product 

 are proportionally less than in the smaller establishment, and make it possible 

 to employ expert operators. It can carry the processes of manutacture further, 

 refining its oil, and conducting correlated industries. 



"An advantage of the small operative mill is that the farmers, on account 

 of stock holdings, furnish the seed supply at reasonable prices, and guarantee 

 a ready market for the meal and hulls for fertilizing and feeding purposes. 

 In this way freight charges are saved both on the seed and on the more bulk} 

 products, leaving only the oil and linters, which constitute about 17 per cent, 

 of the weight of the products obtained from a ton of seed, to be shipped to 

 remote markets. 



"Possibly the most difficult problem in connection with the cottonseed 

 products industry is the proper storing and preservation of the seed. The 

 lint is almost waterproof, and is but little injured in passing from field to 

 the factory. But not so with the seed, which is very easily injured, and 

 reaches the mill in much worse condition relatively than the Jint. In wet 

 seasons this deterioration amounts to a large percentage of the value of the 

 seed, and the products from such damaged seed must be sold for very in- 

 ferior uses. The value of the oil especially depends upon the condition of 

 the seed when it reaches the mill. Evidently the products manufactured from 

 cottonseed would be more useful and more valuable if it were carefully graded 

 and the good and bad seed kept separate. To accomplish this vhe cooperation 

 of the grower, ginner, and miller is required. The present tendency to 

 establish small cottonseed-oil mills with ginneries attached is a step in this 

 direction, as the seed may be stored at the time it is removed f i om the lint." l 



482. Cotton-seed Meal. The weight of cotton -seed meal 

 is about two-fifths that of the cotton seed as it goes to the 

 cotton-seed mill. It is used in the United States as a fer- 

 tilizer either as such or mixed in commercial fertilizer. It is 

 used principally as a source of nitrogen, but also contains phos- 

 phoric acid and potash, the percentage of each in round num- 

 bers being 7, 2.5, and 1.5 per cent, respectively. Cotton-seed 

 meal is extensively sold as cattle food, being largely exported to 

 Great Britain and other countries. Mixed with wheat flour 

 or maize meal, it has been baked into various forms of bread 

 stuffs, when it is said to be palatable and wholesome. The ex- 



1 Dept. Com. and Labor, Bu. Census Bui. No. 40 (1906), pp. 68, 69. 



