28 



BULLETIN 927, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Since it is shown (Table IX) that the most economical operation 

 is involved in drying the material at the respective pulping plants, 

 the total handling cost of this utilization project would be the sum of 

 the cost of preparing the seed and the manufacture of the oil by 

 either the expeller or the solvent-extraction method, which is shown 

 in Table X. 



Table X. 



-Comparison of the cost of tomato-seed utilization by either the ex- 

 peller or the solvent-extraction method. 



Operation. 



Preparation of seed 



Recovery of oil 



Total handling cost 



Expelling. 



834, 881 

 17,525 



52, 406 



Solvent 

 extraction. 



834, 881 

 16,625 



POSSIBLE RETURNS AND NET PROFITS FROM OIL, CAKE, AND MEAL. 



In estimating the possible returns from the oil, cake, and meal ob- 

 tained from the seed, a price of 16 cents a pound for expeller oil and 

 14.5 cents a pound for extracted oil was used as the basis of calcula- 

 tion. The value of the oil cake was estimated on the basis of $40 a 

 ton, or 2 cents a pound, and the solvent-extracted meal at $30 a ton, 

 or 1.5 cents a pound. 



The gross and net returns from oil, oil cake, and meal from 1,000 

 tons of tomato seeds manufactured by the two processes described 

 and yielding 17 and 20 per cent of oil by expression and solvent ex- 

 traction, respectively, are shown in Table XI. 



Table XI. — Estimated gross and net returns from tomato-seed oil, cake, and 

 meal obtained by either the expeller or the sol vent -extract ion process. 





Quantity 

 (pounds). 



Price per 

 pound 



(cents). 



Value. 



Products. 



Expeller. 



Solvent ex- 

 traction. 



Oil 



340,000 



400, 000 



1,660,000 



1 , 600, 000 



16 



] !'. 

 2" 

 If 



854, 400 





Do . 



858, 000 



Cake . 



33, 200 





Meal.. 



28,000 











87, 600 

 52,406 



86,000 









51,506 













35, 194 



34,494 











It is estimated that an oil-extraction plant will handle the entire 

 tomato-seed waste in two months, which, added to the three months 

 of the operating season during the summer when the seeds are col- 

 lected and prepared, represents five months' operation throughout 

 the year. The above profits, therefore, which represent an operat- 

 ing season of five months, could be increased by extending the opera- 



