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quantity used as a fertiliser in this State is so small that a discussion 

 of its merits may be omitted. 



Cotton seed meal is a by-product from the the cotton seed oil mills 

 Cotton seeds are first hulled, and the k ernels, after being steamed, are 

 subjected to hydraulic pressure to remove the oil. This leaves cotton 

 seed cake, which is largely exported for use as a cattle food in England 

 and continental countries. Nearly three-fourths of the products of our 

 mills are thus disposed of. The remainder is consumed in this country, 

 both as food stuff and fertiliser. However for use in this country, the 

 cake is ground into fine meal and sold on our markets as " Cotton 

 Seed Meal." When fresh and free from hulls, it has a bright yellow 

 colour, oily appearance and nutty odour. The presence of comminuted 

 hulls darkens the colour and lowers the percentage of nitrogen. Age 

 and ferments also darken the colour without lowering the content of 

 nitrogen, and therefore cause little or no injury to it for fertilising 

 purposes, but seriously destroy its feeding values converting the nitro- 

 genous matters into poisonous ptomaines. 



Cotton seed meal has an average composition of 7 per cent, nitrogen 

 3 per cent, phosphoric acid and 2 per cent, potash. Being a southern 

 product, the prices paid by our planters may be regarded as initial 

 values, without charges, insurance and freight necessary to place it on 

 the world's markets in competition with other forms of nitrogen. 

 Therefore, it may be asserted that it is to our planters the cheapest 

 form of nitrogen. Occasionally, with low markets elsewhere for ferti- 

 lising material, tankage, fish scrap, etc., may find purchasers in our 

 midst at prices for its nitrogen content slightly below the prevailing 

 rate for nitrogen in cotton seed meal ; but as a rule, the cost of nitro- 

 gen in cotton seed meal to our home planters is less than in any other 

 form. Experiments in the laboratory upon the different forms of ni- 

 trogen have shown that next to the mineral forms (sulphate of am- 

 monia and nitrate of soda) stand the vegetable, in their order of availa- 

 bility as plant food. Cotton seed meal especially was shown to have a 

 high CO efficient of availability, as much as 78 per cent, of its nitrogen 

 having been appropriated directly as plant food the first year. 



It is, therefore, extremely gratifying to our planters to know that a 

 home product furnishes them with the cheapest and best form of 

 nitrogen. 



The following animal forms of nitrogen are found on our markets : — 

 (1) Dried blood, (2) Tankage and (3) Fish scrap. 



Dried blood is a by-product of our slaughter-houses and comes into 

 markets under two heads Red blood and Black blood. The former is 

 dried slowly at a low temperature, and is believed to be slightly more 

 available than black blood which is rapidly dried at high temperatures 

 by steam. Dried blood contains 12 to 16 per cent, of nitrogen, with 

 practically no potash or phosphoric acid. It is the most available of 

 animal forms of nitrogen, ranking in the trials given above, next to 

 cotton seed meal. 



Tankagt, is a mixture of the refuse of the slaughter-houses and con- 

 •isti of dried blood, pieces of meat, particles of bone, etc., all of which 

 have been rendered to remove the oil or fats, and the residue is then 

 dried and ground into fine powder and sold as t.inkage. 



