20 BULLETIN 904, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
are accomplished is a determining factor. A good grade of corn and 
careful operation of the expellers are also necessary to obtain the 
margin of profit indicated. The price of corn feeds is of course 
dependent upon the cost of corn, and consequently the lower the 
price of corn and feed the greater the balance in favor of oil expelling, 
provided the price of the oil remains the same. 
Table IV gives data comparing the respective weights of oil left 
in the oil cake obtained from a bushel of corn by the two types of 
mills. 
TaBLE IV.—Comparison of oil left in the oil cake obtained from a bushel of corn when 
operating on dry-process and wet-process germs.2 
Wet 
Dry process 
process (starch 
items. (hominy and 
ills).  glueose 
plants 
Germs obtained from: 1) bushel Of corm: 2 =< Sa ee pounds 4.17 3.47 
Oiliniwernnss oP sae ee ee ee Se ee percent.., 18 45 
Oiicitin cakes... 22 Se Se eS eee do), 46 9 
Oil obiained:izom. bushel of com. <2 =. = ee pounds. . 532 1.372 
Cake obtained =o ee Ss ea ee re eee doz 3. 637 2.097 
Onli he CaK Grae ee oe ee ee dGte== . 2182 . 1887 
a Thecalcuiations in this table were made with the formula explained in footnote ® of Table II. 
It is evident that in expelling dry-process germs a slightly greater 
loss of oil results than when expelling wet-process germs, although 
the percentage of oil left in the cake is considerably lower. 
PRODUCTION OF EDIBLE OIL. 
In 1919 there were 22 corn-oil producers in the United States, 
but early in the year several of these had suspended operations on 
account of adverse economic conditions. Of the 20 producers only 
four, so far as is known, turned out refined or edible oil, one being a 
hominy miller and the other three starch and glucose manufacturers. 
This sma!] number of refiners, however, is no indication of the rela- 
tive quantity of oil which is refined for food purposes. According 
to Bailey and Reuter,? 111,000,000 pounds of corn oil were produced 
in 1918, of which approximately 76,009,000 pounds, or about 70 per 
cent, were refined for edible purposes. | 
It is the practice of a few of the large operators to refine not only 
the oil which is produced in their own plants, but also to buy large 
quantities of crude oil from other producers for refining. Companies 
1 Since this paper deals mainly with the production of crude corn oil as a by-product in the corn-milling 
industry, the refining of such an oil for edible purposes, which is an industry initselfis here discussed only 
inageneralway. A technical paper embodying the results of a detailed study of the preparation of edible 
corn oil may be issued later. 
2 Bailey, Herbert S.,and Reuter,B. E. The production and conservation of fats and oils in the United 
States. U.S. Dept. of Agr. Bul. 769, sup., p.4. 1919. 3 
