5 6 SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE. 



atile products of decomposition, and the roots thus 

 strengthened will reach down, and appropriate the 

 food contained in the decaying seed. 



123. To those living near an oil-mill, there will 

 be great economy in having the oil first extracted 

 from the seed, and then using the oil-cake as a fertil- 

 izer. The oil is a product of great value for certain 

 purposes, but of little value as a manure, because it 

 contains only the organic elements, carbon, hydro- 

 gen, and oxygen, which are supplied by the atmos- 

 phere to every plant. 



124. The process of grinding or crushing the 

 seed promotes decomposition, and hastens its avail- 

 ability as plant-food ; but the expense of the neces- 

 sary machinery is too great for general use, unless 

 the kernel is to be used as food for stock, for which 

 purpose it is admirably suited. The valuable pro- 

 ducts of decomposing cotton-seed may be preserved 

 by composting, or mixing with other fertilizers which 

 can absorb or combine with its volatile products. 



125. The important object to be accomplished, 

 on every farm or plantation, is the restoration to the 

 soil, in some form or other, of the large amount of 

 valuable mineral matter contained in the seed, and 

 the prevention of its permanent removal to the grad- 

 ual exhaustion of the land. In Europe, rape-seed 

 and linseed-cake, similar to our cotton-seed oil-cake, 

 are highly esteemed as fertilizers. 



126. Animal fertilizers, consisting of the flesh of 

 all dead animals, with the scrapings of tanneries and 



