104 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I907. 



COTTONSEED MEAL. 

 Analyses pages 95-97. 



Cottonseed meal is a by-product from the manufacture of 

 cottonseed oil. After the cotton has been taken from the seed 

 in the cotton gin, the remaining down or " linters " and the hard 

 black seed coats or hulls are removed by machinery. The 

 remainder of the seed fs cooked and the oil expressed by high 

 pressure. The resulting cottonseed cake is ground into the 

 bright, yellow cottonseed meal of commerce. Such a meal made 

 from good seed would carry from 40 to 50 per cent of protein. 

 With improvements in the process of manufacture, it is now 

 possible to extract the oil without making all the separations 

 formerly needed. Hence it has come about that the cottonseed 

 meal now offered in the market is as a rule of lower protein con- 

 tent than was the case 10 years ago. 



The shippers' of cottonseed meal up to about two years ago 

 guaranteed 43 per cent protein and 9 per cent fat. A large part 

 of the cottonseed meal is used for fertilizing purposes and its 

 nitrogen is guaranteed in the form of ammonia. The Interstate 

 Cotton Seed Crushers Association in May, 1906, established 

 the following grades for cottonseed meal. 



Choice cottonseed meal must be finely ground, perfectly sound 

 and sweet in odor, free from excess of lint and hulls and by 

 analysis must show at least 8 per cent ammonia, equivalent to 

 41 . 15 per cent protein. 



Extra prime cottonseed meal must be finely ground, of sweet 

 odor, reasonably bright in color, yellow not brown or reddish, 

 and by analysis must contain at least 7.5 per cent of ammonia, 

 equivalent to 38.50 per cent protein. 



Prime cottonseed meal must be finely ground of sweet odor, 

 reasonably bright in color and by analysis must contain at least 

 7 per cent ammonia, equivalent to 36 per cent protein. 



"Off" meal is any cottonseed meal which is distinctly deficient 

 in any of the requirements of prime quality, either in color, odor, 

 texture or analysis, or all. "Off" meal should only be sold by 

 sample. ' 



