266 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Ocr., 1898. 
reach this country, and delinting by means of friction is now being tried mn 
the States for export purposes. But, as already stated, Egypt is practically 
the only exporting country, and her monopoly of the trade is, for various good 
reasons, not likely to be seriously disturbed. 
SHIPPING. 
After being ginned at the factories, the seed and the cotton are sent down 
together by rail to Alexandria for shipment to the various distributing and 
consuming centres. The cotton is baled, pressed by steam, and shipped, 
principally to Liverpool; anda large quantity also finds its way to various 
Continental ports. America takes a fair and an increasing number of bales, 
and a few are shipped to India, which, on the face of it, appears like sending 
coals to Newcastle. But Egyptian cotton is long of staple and fine of fibre, 
like the famous Sea Island quality grown in Georgia, South Carolina, and the 
adjacent islands, and can be used for purposes for which the ordinary short- 
stapled American and Indian cottons are unsuitable. The sced is shipped in 
* bulk, usually by “tramp ” steamers, the owners of which derive a considerable 
revenue, during the autumn and winter months more particularly, from this 
particular trade. Shipments are made either in “ cargoes” or “parcels me th 
cargo is owned by one shipper, parcels by more than one. Cargoes almost 
invariably go to outports in the United Kingdom (7.c., to ports other than Huil, 
London, and Liverpool), or to Continental ports. Parcels are shipped by 
steamers which are cither chartered, usually in London at the “ Baltic,” or put 
on the Alexandria berth at whatever rates of freight may be procurable. 
THE MOST IMPORTANT MARKET. 
Hull is by far the inost important market for cotton-sced in this country, 
as the following figures will show. Shipments from Alexandria during the 
season commencing September, 1896, and ending August, 1897, were :—To 
Hull, 195,500 tons; London, 61,500 tons; Liverpool, 19,000 tons. Outputs: 
United Kingdom, 95,000 tons ; Continent, 45,000 tons—total, 416,000 tons. It 
will thus be seen that Hull receives nearly one-half of tho total quantity 
exported from Egypt. The Bristol Channel, is, after Hull and London, the 
most important crushing centre in England; in Scotland, Leith, and Burnt- 
island supply the east coast and Glasgow the west. Cotton-seed is an article 
of constantly fluctuating value, but during the last few seasons prices have 
generally ranged between £4 10s. and £5 per ton. In sympathy with produce 
generally, cotton-seed has fallen in value during recent years. 
THE UTILISATION OF WAST. 
Cotton-cake is a striking exemplification of the modern tendency to let 
nothing be wasted. Formerly, cotton-seed was imported solely on account of 
the oil which it contained. After the oil was extracted, the residue—“ refuse” 
was the word employed—was used as manure and fuel. In course of time, 
however, the valuable discovery was made that the despised refuse contained 
ingredients of great nutriticus value for feeding sheep and cattle. The 
discovery gave an impetus to the cotton-seed trade, which has led to its present 
position of great and growing importance. Even at the present day the 
intrinsic value of cotton-cake as an article of food for cattle and sheep is not 
universally recognised by many British farmers, who, with the conservatism 
which is one of their Jeading characteristics, are slow to change from the 
usages of their fathers. Linseed cake, notwithstanding its greater expense, 1s 
‘in more general use, except when, as at present, the supply of linseed is short; 
the binding qualities of cotton-cake tend to prejudice farmers against it, but 
in wet weather its value as a feeding stuffis universally recognised. The crush 
of cotton-seed in America is, of course, considerably larger than that of 
Egyptian seed in England. In recent years it has ranged from about 1,000,000 
to 2,000,000 tons during a season. 
