UTILIZATION OF WASTE SEED FROM THE TOMATO. 23 



operating oil mill, which would crush it either on a pro rata basis 

 or on a flat contract, depending on the arrangements effected. 



If the Cobwell system of extraction be adopted, the wet seed would 

 have to be accumulated at a central point, since the drying and ex- 

 tracting are done at the same time. The operation of such a plant 

 would necessarily cease with the packing season unless other material 

 could be obtained for oil extraction. It has been suggested that 

 butcher's trimmings, which are produced in the largest quantities 

 mostly during the winter months, would supply the plant with ma- 

 terial between seasons. 



COST OF HANDLING THE WASTE. 



In determining the approximate cost of a utilization project of this 

 character it is necessary to consider the expense involved in all the 

 operations from the assembling of the seed to the manufacture of 

 the oil and press cake. This latter would, of course, involve the cost 

 of the plant and equipment. 



SEPARATING THE SEED. 



As previously stated, the cost of seed separation is negligible, since 

 in ordinary practice one man can operate three or four, or sometimes 

 even six or eight, cyclone machines, depending on the character of the 

 layout. Since a 5,000-basket plant usually operates two pulping 

 cyclones, a single cj^clone for separating the seed can readily be oper- 

 ated with no extra labor charge. 



ASSEMBLING THE SEED. 



If the pulping station is located in a city or in any place from 

 which seed or other waste must be hauled away, the cost of assembling 

 such seed for shipment would place no financial burden on the re- 

 covery operations, because in either event a hauling charge would be 

 necessary. If, on the other hand, the station is located in the country, 

 where no hauling charge is involved, there would be the necessary cost 

 of loading the seed on a car for shipment to the utilization center. 



To ascertain the most satisfactory place for a central plant, data 

 on freight rates were collected, showing the cost of delivery of seed 

 to each of the following places : Philadelphia, Pa. ; Westfield, N. Y. ; 

 Chicago, 111. ; and Indianapolis, Ind. If all the seed were shipped 

 to one central point, the most likely center would be Westfield, N. Y., 

 for the East, and Indianapolis, Ind., for the Middle West ; but if the 

 operation were to be conducted in a more or less restricted area, then 

 the cheapest freight rates would, of course, group about the nearest 

 center. 



At present there is no oil mill located at Westfield, N. Y., but this 

 point is included, together with Chicago, Indianapolis, and Philadel- 

 phia, in the estimates on freight charges. 



