242 The Feeding of Animals 



other oil meals have become important in our cattle 

 feeding. A description therefore of the production of 

 cottonseed meal and linseed meal will not only cover 

 the points of practical interest to American feeders, 

 but will serve to illustrate the main facts that pertain 

 to the manipulation of these oil seeds. 



It may be stated in a general way that two 

 methods are used for removing vegetable oils from 

 seeds, expressing by pressure and extraction with a 

 solvent, both of which are now in use. In using the 

 first method, it was formerly the custom to express the 

 oil from the cold crushed seed, but now the seed is more 

 generally submitted to heat, either by boiling or steaming, 

 afterwards applying the pressure to the warm material. 

 More oil is obtained by the latter process. The second 

 or extraction method involves the use of a solvent, gen- 

 erally a light naphtha, which leaves less oil behind 

 than either cold or warm pressure. Before extraction 

 the crushed seed is heated just as when pressure is used. 



Cottonseed meal. The cottonseed as gathered from 

 the plant consists on the exterior of a mass of long 

 white fibers that are attached to the outer coat or hull, 

 inside of all of which is the kernel or meat. The seed 

 is first delinted by running it through a gin, which 

 removes the lint or cotton of commerce. After this 

 operation there is still attached to the seed a soft down, 

 which is subsequently removed and which constitutes 

 what is known as "linters," a short lint that is used 

 in making cotton batting. The remaining portion is 

 that from which cottonseed oil and certain by-product 

 feeding stuffs are produced. 



