Cotton 



343 



to European countries for feeding and fertilizing purposes, 

 when perhaps it should be similarly used in the south to 

 keep up the fertility of her own fields. (See analysis in 

 appendix.) 



506. In recent years cotton seed meal is used in making 

 bread and cakes. It is mixed with wheat flour to secure 

 leavening quality. The general use of cotton seed flour 

 in bread making is to be en- 

 couraged, not only because it 



is cheaper, but because it is 



nearly 5 times richer in protein, 



and therefore more nourishing 



than wheat flour. (See f 335.) 



The hulls have a low feeding 



value, but are largely used as 



a roughage for all kinds of 



stock. Cotton seed oil is 



valuable for shortening in 



breadmaking, being about one 



third more efficient, and 



usually much cheaper than 



lard, or lard compounds. It is 



now largely used as a salad oil in place of olive oil. The low 



grade oils are used in making soaps and washing powders. 



507. Mexican Boll Weevil. The cotton root rot 

 fungus, (H 224), the boll worm, and other important 

 cotton diseases mentioned in chapter 23, have been known 

 for many years. Another serious insect pest of cotton 

 is the Mexican Boll Weevil. (Fig. 104.) In 1904, it was 

 established that the Texas cotton crop had been reduced 

 to nearly half by the ravages of the boll weevil. This 

 damage represented many millions of dollars, and for a 

 time the insect seemed to threaten the future of the cotton 



ig . 



weevils hide between boll and 

 involucre or "square." 



