UC-NRLF 
 
 The Great 
 
 Cottonseed Industry 
 
 or THE 
 
 South 
 
LIBRARY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Class 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 BY 
 
 LUTHER A. RANSOM 
 
 Ex-President The Inter-State Cottoneed Crushers 3 
 
 Association 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 OIL, PAINT AND DRUG REPORTER 
 IOO WILLIAM STREET 
 
 IQII 
 

 Copyright 
 
 1911 
 
 Oil, Paint and Drug Reporter 
 New York 
 
 
THE GREAT COTTONSEED INDUS- 
 TRY OF THE SOUTH 
 
 PUBLISHERS' NOTE. 
 
 In June, 1910, the Oil, Paint and Drug Reporter re- 
 quested the late Luther A. Ransom, of Atlanta, Ga., one of 
 the most prominent men in the Cotton Oil Industry in the 
 United States, who was an ex-President of the Interstate 
 Cottonseed Crushers' Association, to prepare an article on 
 the cottonseed industry for publication in that paper. On 
 July 18 Mr. Ransom wrote that the article which he had 
 been working on during his spare time had grown to the 
 dimensions of a book, and stated that he believed the 
 subject of the great cottonseed industry of the South, 
 treated purely from a historical and industrial standpoint, 
 ought to be of general interest to the public, and at his 
 request the Oil, Paint and Drug Reporter undertook the 
 publication of this book. On September 19 Mr. Ransom 
 wrote a letter discussing certain mechanical features of 
 the book, which had not definitely been decided upon. At 
 that time the complete manuscript was in our hands. On 
 September 20 we received information of Mr. Ransom's 
 sudden death, which occurred on the 19th. 
 
 The arrangements which Mr. Kansom had made for the 
 publication of his book, just before his death, have been 
 carried into effect by the publishers. The book is now 
 
 223167 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 offered to the public and to that wide circle of friends and 
 business associates of the late Luther A. Ransom, who did 
 so much to build up an industry which is becoming a great 
 factor in the industrial development of the South, in the 
 hope that it will bring to the attention of the Southern 
 people the fact that, in the cottonseed industry, they have 
 an opportunity for making their section of our country 
 more prosperous. And in increasing the prosperity of the 
 cotton belt, this industry will aid the whole country, for 
 it is not only bringing foreign gold to our shores, but it is 
 supplying to all the people pure and wholesome food prod- 
 ucts at a lower cost than the other foods which it replaces. 
 And in these days, Avheu the high cost of living is a most 
 serious problem, anything which affords relief is welcomed 
 as a blessing. If this book will encourage the farmers to 
 raise better seed, the crushers to produce better and purer 
 food products and better feed for cattle, if it will encourage 
 the Southern farmers to raise more cattle, feeding them 
 the rich foods stored up in the cottonseed, and if it will 
 induce people to overcome their prejudices and eat the 
 wholesome and delicious cottonseed salad oils, hogless 
 lards and oleomargarines, then will the purpose of the 
 book have been accomplished, and the people of this coun- 
 try might well rise up and call the memory of Luther A. 
 Ransom blessed. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 Page 
 PREFACE 9 
 
 CHAPTER 1 13 
 
 THE GREAT COTTONSEED INDUSTRY OF THE SOUTH-ITS SMALL 
 BEGINNINGS ITS RECENT RAPID DEVELOPMENT THE SALES 
 OF COTTONSEED OIL IN ALL THE MARKETS OF THE WORLD 
 THE PIONEERS IN THE BUSINESS THE SENSATIONAL INCREASE 
 IN TRADING IN COTTON OIL ON THE NEW YORK PRODUCE 
 EXCHANGE THE PRODUCTS OF THE CRUDE COTTONSEED OIL 
 MILLS THE FOREIGN TARIFFS ON COTTON OIL AND THEIR 
 EFFECT ON THE INDUSTRY THE REFINED PRODUCTS THE 
 IMPROVEMENT IN REFINING COTTON OIL AND THE RESULTS- 
 EXPORTS THE INTERSTATE COTTONSEED CRUSHERS' ASSO- 
 CIATION AND ITS POWER IN PROMOTING THE INTERESTS OF 
 THE INDUSTRY A GLANCE AT THE FUTURE. 
 
 CHAPTER II 38 
 
 COTTONSEED AND COTTONSEED PRODUCTS (ADDRESS BEFORE 
 THE COTTON SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, 
 ATHENS, GA., JANUARY, 1908) THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE 
 FARMER AND THE OIL MILLS HOW EACH IS BENEFITED BY 
 AND DEPENDENT UPON THE OTHER THE PRODUCTS MADE 
 FROM COTTONSEED AND HOW, BY THE MANUFACTURE OF 
 THESE PRODUCTS, THE MILLS HAVE GREATLY INCREASED THE 
 VALUE OF THE COTTON CROP. 
 
 CHAPTER III 54 
 
 THE DAIRY AND OIL MILL INTERESTS (ADDRESS BEFORE THE 
 GEORGIA DAIRY ASSOCIATION, GRIFFIN, GA.) HOW THE OIL 
 MILL HAS BENEFITED THE DAIRY INTERESTS AND CATTLE 
 RAISING INDUSTRY HOW THESE COMBINED INTERESTS MAY 
 BE FURTHER PROMOTED BY CLOSER RELATIONS. 
 
 CHAPTER IV 63 
 
 GEORGIA PEOPLE BUY COTTON OIL IN PREFERENCE TO HOGS' 
 LARD THE SUPERIORITY OF COTTON OIL OVER LARD. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 6 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 CHAPTER V 65 
 
 A REVIEW OF THE PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE 
 COTTON OIL INDUSTRY NEGLECTED OPPORTUNITIES A SOUTH- 
 ERN MONOPOLY-A GROWTH AS SENSATIONAL AS THE CALI- 
 FORNIA GOLD DISCOVERY OF '49 THE VALUE OF THE BY- 
 PRODUCTS TO THE SOUTHERN CATTLE RAISER AND DAIRYMAN. 
 
 CHAPTER VI 75 
 
 
 
 ENGLISH AND AMERICAN COTTONSEED MILLS COTTONSEED 
 MEAL. IN DENMARK AND THE UNITED STATES THE HIGH 
 QUALITY OF AMERICAN COTTONSEED OIL THE VALUE OF 
 VARIOUS AMERICAN FEED STUFFS, INCLUDING COTTONSEED 
 MEAL AND RULLS. 
 
 CHAPTER VII 79 
 
 HOW TO INCREASE THE VALUE OF COTTONSEED RRODUCTS 
 (ADDRESS BEFORE THE INTERSTATE COTTONSEED CRUSHERS' 
 ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING AT NEW ORLEANS, LA., MAY 
 16, 1905) SOME RESULTS ACCOMPLISHED BY PUBLICITY. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII 83 
 
 SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT COTTONSEED OIL, HOW IT 
 MASQUERADED UNDER DIFFERENT NAMES IN DIFFERENT 
 COUNTRIES HOW IT WAS MIXED AND BLENDED WITH OTHER 
 AND INFERIOR PRODUCTS HOW IT WAS FINALLY PUT ON THE 
 MARKET UNDER ITS OWN NAME AND TRIUMPHANTLY WON 
 ON ITS MERITS. 
 
 CHAPTER IX 85 
 
 A GENERAL REVIEW OF THE COTTON OIL INDUSTRY (ANNUAL 
 ADDRESS BEFORE THE INTERSTATE COTTONSEED CRUSHERS' 
 ASSOCIATION, LOUISVILLE, KY., MAY 19, 1908) THE WORK OF 
 THE INTERSTATE COTTONSEED CRUSHERS' ASSOCIATION FOR 
 THE YEAR 1908 THE CONDITIONS AFFECTING THE INDUSTRY- 
 ITS IMMENSE POSSIBILITIES THE CO-OPERATION OF THE 
 NATIONAL GOVERNMENT IN PROMOTING ITS INTERESTS THE 
 FOREIGN TRADE OLEOMARGARINE GRADING COTTONSEED- 
 PUBLICITY BUREAU EXHIBITS OF COTTONSEED PRODUCTS. 
 
 CHAPTER X 123 
 
 A MODEST LITTLE STORY OF A BIG LITTLE SEED A SHORT 
 SKETCH OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF COTTON OIL PURITY OF 
 THE PRODUCT ITS VARIOUS USES ITS BENEFITS TO THE 
 SOUTHERN COTTON GROWER. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Georgia cotton field, yielding over one bale to the acre .... 17 
 
 A modern cotton ginnery at Cartersville, Ga. Capacity 100 
 
 to 125 bales daily 21 
 
 Cotton ginnery during the busy season 25 
 
 Type of modern crude oil mill. The products are crude cot- 
 tonseed oil; meal, hulls and linters 29 
 
 Herd of 30 Jersey cows fed on cottonseed meal. They fur- 
 nish $100 of cream per week 33 
 
 Champion cow of Georgia. Gives annually, butter, 544.3; 
 milk, 9,252. "PEARL," the best cow in the best herd, 
 under daily observation, is fed on cottonseed meal to in- 
 crease her wonderful production 37 
 
 Cartoon, "Getting Together" 55 
 
 Six horses and a mule, which get a daily ration of cottonseed 
 
 meal 59 
 
 Colt three hours old. Dam fed on cottonseed meal regularly 61 
 
 Car go of cottonseed meal fertilisers on Chattahoochee River. 67 
 
 Exterior view of large cotton oil refinery 7 1 
 
 Interior view of large cotton oil refinery 73 
 
 Interior view of cotton oil hogless lard plant 77 
 
 Heart of the American sardine packing industry, where cot- 
 ton oil is used in packing -fish 107 
 
 An English exhibit of cotton oil and hogless lard. Confec- 
 tioners' Exhibition, London 113 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 THE GREAT COTTONSEED INDUS- 
 TRY OF THE SOUTH 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 The Cotton Oil Industry of the South is unique. It is 
 unusual and without a parallel. Its progress and develop- 
 ment has been as brilliant as it has been useful. The field 
 that it opened for the investment of capital has been a most 
 attractive one, although it has not always been a profitable 
 one for the investor. But the opportunities it has afforded 
 for industrial improvement, thus promoting the general 
 good of the country, has been unequalled. 
 
 The student of political economy is fascinated by the 
 possibilities of a proposition that, starting out with a raw 
 material practically without value, converts it, in twenty 
 years, into products worth one hundred million dollars. 
 Large sums of money have been necessary to bring about 
 this condition. A few of the things it has accomplished 
 has been to increase the transportation business of the 
 country, the payment of many thousands of dollars in 
 wages, the employment of thousands of men, the annual 
 increase of the export business of the United States, the 
 great financial and economic value to the country of the 
 production of cotton oil, thus giving to the consumer a 
 sweet and wholesome product, and supplying a deficiency 
 in the world's shortage of olive oil and butter, the enrich- 
 ment of the soil by the use of Cottonseed Meal, a by-product 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 10 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 of the seed, the greatly increased development of the dairy 
 and live-stock interests of the South by the use of the meal 
 and hulls, the establishment of mattress factories by the use 
 of the linters, and the erection of plants for the manufac- 
 ture of machinery used in operating cotton oil mills. While 
 all of this domestic development has been in progress, 
 cottonseed products have invaded the great olive groves of 
 Europe and Asia, competing on equal terms with the 
 products of the ancient olive, while the chief by-product, 
 Cottonseed Meal, has been feeding the immense herds of 
 cattle in Denmark and the dairy herds of England and 
 Holland. When all of this has been considered the benefits 
 of this wonderful industry command the attention of the 
 students of industrial conditions in all countries. 
 
 In accomplishing these magnificent results the industry 
 has been of almost incalculable value to the immediate 
 section where it has been established. It adds annually 
 directly to the value of the cotton crop about one hundred 
 million dollars, with all the incidental advantages that this 
 direct increase brings with it. It is building packing- 
 houses and, in time, will make the South the great cattle- 
 raising section of the Union. The ramifications of this 
 industry are so varied that they penetrate the fields, the 
 factories and the homes of the people. Although/its chief 
 product oil has been listed and traded in onvthe New 
 York Produce Exchange for a comparatively shorf'time, 
 the transactions in it now exceed those in lard, which has 
 held a high place for many years. 
 
 Among other industries, therefore, the cotton oil industry 
 is a strong, lusty and vigorous young giant. Believing that 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 11 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 such an industry must be of great interest to the thousands 
 who have their money invested in it, many of whom know 
 little of its real importance and progress, as well as to those 
 other thousands who produce and handle its products, and 
 to the consumers of these products, I have brought together 
 in these pages a number of historical and industrial articles 
 treating on this subject, which were prepared by me during 
 the last five or six years, together with other information 
 that has not heretofore been published, and this is sub- 
 mitted with the hope that it will still further promote the 
 interests of an industry that is still growing, and upon 
 whose success depends largely the financial and physical 
 well being of many thousands of the people of the United 
 States. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 13 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE GREAT COTTONSEED INDUSTRY OF THE SOUTH. 
 
 ITS SMALL BEGINNINGS ITS RECENT RAPID DEVELOPMENT 
 THE SALES OF COTTONSEED OIL IN ALL THE MARKETS OF THE 
 WORLD THE PIONEERS IN THE BUSINESS THE SENSA- 
 TIONAL INCREASE IN TRADING IN COTTON OIL ON THE NEW 
 YORK PRODUCE EXCHANGE THE PRODUCTS OF THE CRUDE 
 COTTONSEED OIL MILLS THE FOREIGN TARIFFS ON COTTON 
 OIL AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE INDUSTRY THE REFINED 
 PRODUCTS THE IMPROVEMENT IN REFINING COTTON OIL 
 AND THE RESULTS EXPORTS THE INTERSTATE COTTON- 
 SEED CRUSHERS' ASSOCIATION AND ITS POWER IN PRO- 
 MOTING THE INTERESTS OF THE INDUSTRY A GLANCE AT 
 THE FUTURE. 
 
 Travelers on the Mediterranean Sea, looking across to 
 the limestone cliffs and hills of Southern Europe and 
 Northern Africa, are charmed by the white blooms and 
 grayish green foliage of the olive groves. The olive is sup- 
 posed to have originated in Syria, the home of the date, the 
 fig and pomegranate, and gradually extended through 
 Spain, Italy, France and along the entire Mediterranean 
 coast. The waters of the Mediterranean, being warmer in 
 winter and cooler in summer than the air, maintain a 
 uniformity of temperature favorable to the complete devel- 
 opment of the olive. The tree is partial to sea breezes, and 
 this, with the limestone soils, is necessary for the perfection 
 of the fruit. Its production must, therefore, be confined 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 14- COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 largely to sections where such conditions of soil and climate 
 prevail. 
 
 While the olive has been grown to some extent in Cali- 
 fornia, Mississippi and Georgia, its fullest development in 
 the United States has been on the California coast, and 
 even there the output is comparatively small. 
 
 As the demand for olive oil and other edible oils in 
 Europe exceeded the production, it became necessary for 
 consumers to look elsewhere for an oil equally as good to 
 supply the shortage. Nature, which never permits a 
 vacuum in her beneficial scheme of production, has 
 selected the garden land of America to fill this requirement. 
 
 On the eastern slopes of the Allegheny range and in the 
 southern valley of the Mississippi Elver, with two mighty 
 ranges of mountains to guard it, and more than three rivers 
 to water its fields, its temperature equalized by the waters 
 of the Gulf of Mexico at its feet and the waves of the Atlan- 
 tic on the east, the Eden of America, whose flaming swords 
 have all been turned into ploughshares, lies basking in the 
 brightest sunshine that ever smiled upon this earth. 
 
 The delightful climate of the cotton belt of the South 
 rivals that of Italy, the scenery of the country is as charm- 
 ing and the cotton plant, with its cream and crimson col- 
 ored blooms, its pure white fruit and dark green foliage, 
 yields nothing in point of beauty by comparison with the 
 olive. 
 
 Taken altogether, therefore, it was natural that the 
 Southern States of the Union should be expected to supply 
 any deficiencies in the products of other countries so closely 
 resembling it in natural conditions, and the South is meet- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 15 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 ing fully this expectation by the manufacture of its cotton 
 oil, not only supplying Europe, but the rapidly increasing 
 domestic demand. 
 
 "Dr. Benjamin Waring established the first paper, oil 
 and grist mills at Columbia, S. C., and expressed from 
 cottonseed a very good oil.'' 
 
 This is the brief announcement in Mills' "Statistics of 
 South Carolina," published in 1826, of the birth of a great 
 industry in the South. Nothing more is recorded except 
 that Dr. Waring was "a great encourager of useful arts" 
 and was State Treasurer. We are, therefore, left to con- 
 jecture as to other conditions existing at that time or how 
 much this mill contributed to the future development of the 
 industry, but we can imagine what might have caused Dr. 
 Waring to make "a very good oil" from cottonseed and how 
 he came to do it. 
 
 Being a professional man and a scholar he was somewhat 
 of a dreamer and, of course, a student. He operated a grist 
 mill located on the Congaree River, on the banks of the 
 canal that furnished the power to run the mill. He doubt- 
 less also ran a small cotton gin and in order to get rid of 
 the seed they were thrown into the canal to be carried off 
 later by the rise of the river, as they were then without 
 value, except such as were needed for replanting. 
 
 Nearly all great discoveries are made by accident. Dr. 
 Waring, in an absent-minded way, probably picked up a few 
 seed and thoughtlessly placed them in his mouth. They 
 had a rich, nutty flavor and tasted good. This increased 
 his interest, and he further noted that where the seed had 
 been trampled on they gave off a rich, golden-yellow oil. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 16 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTB 
 
 He concluded that if the flavor of the seed was good the oil, 
 if properly handled, was valuable. He probably fitted up 
 a crude hand press, as the Chinese had done two thousand 
 years before him, and expressed the oil. He was further 
 convinced of its value, and, in the satisfaction over his 
 discovery, discussed it with his friends, and Mills recorded 
 the discovery. Or it is possible that he may have traveled 
 in England and heard of, or visited, the cotton oil mill of 
 Foster Brothers at Gloucester that had been there in active 
 operation for one hundred years before Dr. Waring made 
 his investigations. But, whatever was the cause of this 
 early attempt toward the manufacture of cotton oil, it has 
 been followed by one of the South's most interesting and 
 most important developments. 
 
 Georgia had an oil mill in 1832, but its history is 
 recorded in about as few words as that of the South Caro- 
 lina plant. 
 
 The commercial importance of the industry had its be- 
 ginning from 1850 to 1855. It had just begun to attract 
 attention when its further development was arrested by the 
 Civil War between the North and South. The pioneers of 
 the fifties were Pierre Paul Martin, Paul Aldige and Am- 
 brose A. McGiaBi^ all of New Orleans, La. Immediately 
 after the war attention was again directed to the business, 
 and General E. P. Alexander, formerly of Savannah, Ga., 
 established a mill at Columbia, S. C., in 1866. Mr. C. E. 
 Girardey followed with another mill at New Orleans, La., 
 in 1868. It was, however, not until about 1880 that the 
 industry actively attained commercial importance in the 
 South. It met with one reverse after another until a great 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 majority of the mills were brought under the ownership of 
 one large company, which, for several years, practically 
 controlled the output of all of the mills. 
 
 Among the leading men of that period were Mr. J. J. 
 
 Georgia Cotton Field, Yielding Over One Bale to the Acre. 
 
 McCann, of Tennessee; J. F. and M. J. O'Shaughnessy, of 
 Tennessee; Kobert Gibson, of Texas; George A. Morrison 
 and K. F. Munro, of New York ; Moses Frank, of Georgia ; 
 Jo W. Allison, of Texas ; E. M. Durham, of Mississippi ; A. 
 D. Allen, of Arkansas ; T. E. Chancy, of Connecticut ; J. O. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 If C9TT9NSEE9 IN9U8TRT 
 
 *F THE StUTH 
 
 Carpenter, of Mississippi; A. E. Thornton, of Georgia, and 
 George O. Baker, of Alabama. 
 
 These men builded well, even better than they knew, and 
 laid firmly the foundation of the present magnificent 
 edifice. 
 
 In 1887 the Southern Cotton Oil Company entered the 
 field with mills located in South Carolina, Georgia, Ala- 
 bama, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee. The 
 establishment of these mills by a company with ample 
 capital gave new life to the industry. The officers were 
 Henry C. Butcher, of Philadelphia, president ; John Oliver, 
 of New York, treasurer ; Fred Oliver, of Charlotte, general 
 manager, and D. A. Tompkins, of Charlotte, chief engineer. 
 They had associated with them in the South L. W. Haskell, 
 at Savannah; C. FitzSimons and J. S. Price, at Columbia; 
 Henry Oliver, at Atlanta; A. C. Landry, at New Orleans; 
 Alston Boyd, at Memphis; J. J. Culbertson, at Little Rock; 
 E. W. Thompson and J. W. Black, at Montgomery, and 
 W. G. Kay, at Houston. Many of these men are actively 
 engaged in the business at this time. 
 
 The industry continued to grow by the establishment of 
 many smaller mills and at present the number in the 
 United States exceeds eight hundred, with a capital of over 
 one hundred million dollars. 
 
 There are one hundred and forty-five crude oil mills in 
 the State of Georgia. Of these, one hundred and seven are 
 owned by local interests, farmers, bankers and merchants. 
 The other thirty-eight are controlled by outside capital. 
 There is, therefore, no monopoly in the business in Georgia, 
 nor anywhere else in the South. These mills in Georgia 
 
THE GltEAT 
 
 C*TT*NSEE9 IN&UST&Y If 
 
 #F THE S6UTH 
 
 crush about 450,000 to 500,000 tons of seed annually and 
 produce about 350,000 to 400,000 barrels of crude oil, from 
 200,000 to 225,000 tons of meal, 125,000 to 150,000 tons 
 of hulls and 35,000 to 40,000 bales of linters. There are 
 four refineries in Georgia, two operated by the larger com- 
 panies and two by the local mills. There are two hogless 
 lard plants in the State. 
 
 Competition between all of these interest* comes in the 
 purchase of seed and the sale of the by-products meal, 
 hulls and linters. Georgia refiners must, of course, com- 
 pete with each other for the crude oil, and with the re- 
 fineries operated in other parts of the United States, the 
 packers of the West and European buyers. 
 
 Some of the larger companies have established mills for 
 crushing seed as well as refining the oil, and have thus 
 become competitors for the raw material, but notwithstand- 
 ing this competition the small mills, by reason of their 
 nearness to the cotton fields, are able not only to market 
 their seed without freights, but can dispose of their by- 
 products at home, where they are needed by the farmers, 
 stock-raisers and dairymen, at less expense than their 
 larger competitors. These advantages will probably be 
 sufficient to sustain these small mills in any competition 
 coming from the larger interests, although, on account of 
 this, the profit of the home mill will be decreased. 
 
 Nothing shows more clearly the development of the busi- 
 ness than the contrast between Dr. Waring's little enter- 
 prise on the banks of the Congaree River in 1826 and the 
 following article from the New York Herald of November 
 12, 1909 : 
 
THE GREAT. 
 
 20 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 "Although for many years business on the New York 
 Produce Exchange has gradually been growing smaller, 
 there is one department that is growing at a remarkable 
 rate. That is the cottonseed oil department. The growth 
 in trading in this commodity has been so great that the 
 quarters for the traders who specialize in that line are to be 
 enlarged. 
 
 "Cotton oil traders are to have a pit in the center of the 
 big exchange floor. At present the cotton oil crowd has 
 a little circle off at one corner of the room, and about a 
 dozen brokers crowd the limited space. A pit similar to 
 the pit on the cotton exchange, and as large, is to be pro- 
 vided for the traders. 
 
 "Only a few years ago if two thousand barrels of oil 
 were traded in it was counted an active day's market. Now 
 they count it an active market when the sales aggregate 
 40,000 barrels in a day. 
 
 "So important has become the New York cottonseed oil 
 market that its quotations are accepted all over the world 
 as a basis for official quotations, and the figures are cabled 
 to all parts of the world at the close of trading. The tele- 
 graph companies have established on the Produce Ex- 
 change permanent offices for the exclusive dissemination of 
 cottonseed oil news. 
 
 " 'There is more than $100,000,000 invested in the cotton- 
 seed oil industry in this country/ said a leading specialist 
 yesterday, 'and the commodity is becoming more and more 
 a vehicle for speculation. I remember when total sales in 
 the market would not average more than 2,000 barrels a 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 21 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 day. Yesterday I sold 10,000 barrels myself and have sold 
 as high as 20,000 barrels in a day.' 
 
 "At present the market is not only very active, but prices 
 are very high. This is naturally due to the fears of a short 
 cotton crop as regards new oil, which will actually appear 
 next month. As for the old crop, it is high because of the 
 exceptionally fine quality of the oil, the product last year 
 having been the best in recent years." 
 
 What is known as a crude oil mill in America produces 
 
 A Modern Cetttn Ginnery at C&rtersville } Ga. Capacity 
 
 9aily. 
 
 if) 
 
 crude cottonseed oil, cottonseed meal, hulls and linters. In 
 the United States the oil is the most valuable product, and 
 this commodity gives the mill its name. In England they 
 are called cake mills, because the cake is more valuable 
 than the oil, which is inferior to the American oil. The 
 English mills make the same products, except hulls. In 
 England the hulls are all ground into the meal, while in 
 this country they are separated. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 22 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 ( The crude oil is sold to the refiners, who convert it into 
 refined oil. In the process of refining the crude oil the 
 residue is called "soap stock' 7 and is utilized by the soap 
 manufacturers throughout the country. 
 
 The refined oil enters into the manufacture of such com- 
 mercial products as salad and cooking oils, hogless lard 
 and oleomargarine, and is not only used in this country, 
 but enters into competition throughout the world with olive 
 oil, butter, lard and similar edible greases. 
 I The cottonseed meal is the ground cake and is used for 
 stock feeding, both in this country and abroad and in the 
 Southern States enters largely into the manufacture of 
 commercial fertilizers. 
 
 1 The lint, which is the short cotton cut from the seed is 
 used chiefiy in the manufacture of mattresses, pillows, 
 comforts, quilts and similar articles, and in foreign coun- 
 tries is converted into gun cotton, known as the highest of 
 explosives. 
 
 I The hulls are used only in the South for stock-feeding, 
 taking the place of hay, corn, fodder, corn shucks and sim- 
 ilar products. Experiments already made indicate that 
 this product will possibly be converted into paper stock, 
 which will give it a higher value than as a feed stuff. 
 
 There is not an article produced by the oil mills that 
 cannot be used in some form by the grower of the seed, and 
 just as the values increase so will the value of seed for 
 milling purposes be enhanced. It is not difficult, therefore, 
 to point out the close relation existing between the cotton 
 farmer and the cotton oil^Rills. Their interests are mu- 
 Uuai and, therefore, the more of these products the farmers 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 23 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 consume the better prices they will realize for their surplus 
 seed that is, the seed not used for planting, and on thej 
 present value of cottonseed products no seed should be 
 used for any other purpose than for planting or milling. 
 There is no outlet for seed that gives them such value as > 
 the oil mills. 
 
 Practically all of the profit earned by the cotton oil mills 
 is disbursed in the locality where it is made. If there was 
 nothing else to make the industry popular, this fact alone 
 should give it a place in the South above all other manu- 
 facturing estabishments. It is nearer to the farmer than 
 all other factories. It is now operated almost on the basis 
 of the local grist mill; it works on toll, returning to the 
 farmer the products of his seed, after deducting an amount 
 sufficient to cover the cost of production and a reasonable 
 profit sometimes no profit at all. 
 
 Cottonseed oil has become a staple product in European f 
 as well as in American markets in fact, it largely regu- 
 lates all of the markets of the world in competition with 
 similar products. In all countries its high qualities are 
 recognized, and in no country is it regarded as having any 
 rival of equal value, with the possible exception of olive 
 oil. In comparison with all edible oils it stands at the head. , 
 
 It has spread over Europe, including every olive country 
 in the Mediterranean basin. It has been the subject of 
 tariff laws in all of these countries. It has engaged the 
 attention of the cabinets and governments of France, Aus- 
 tria, Spain, Italy and Turkey. Eecently it was one of the 
 articles that threatened to disturb tariff relations between 
 the United States and Germany and France. When the 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 24 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 last tariff bill was passed by the United States the Italian 
 Ambassador was censured by his countrymen for failing 
 to protect their interests in this bill by bringing about such 
 reciprocity as would give the Italian olive growers the favor- 
 able terms which they thought should have been obtained. 
 
 1 In Turkey the olive growers threatened some years ago that 
 if cotton oil was admitted to that country they would de- 
 stroy their groves in retaliation for such action by their 
 
 I government. This Avas finally adjusted, and cotton oil is 
 now admitted to the Ottoman empire free of all duties. 
 Spain excluded it entirely for the protection of their olive 
 growers and Austria followed. Germany, France and 
 Italy levied heavy taxes, and even little Servia imposes a 
 tax of four cents per pound on it, but in spite of all of these 
 artificial barriers to the sale of cottonseed oil it has moved 
 steadily forward and captured the world's markets. 
 
 The highest and best use of the oil is as an edible product. 
 When used for cooking it is the best and most economical 
 of all commodities now used for that purpose, not only 
 because its market value is less than butter and lard, but 
 because it will go one-third further than lard and equally 
 as far as butter. 
 
 As late as 1879 the Encyclopedia Britannica did not list 
 cotton oil as an edible product. Later even than this, a 
 Western lard manufacturer thought of compounding it 
 with hogs' lard and was warned that it was unwholesome, 
 just as some few experts had warned the people regarding 
 the "love apple," which came afterward to be known as the 
 lucious and appetizing tomato, and just as some United 
 States Government experts have warned stock-feeders 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 25 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 against the use of cottonseed meal on account of the "toxic" 
 qualities contained therein, although these same feeders 
 throughout Europe and America were then fattening whole 
 herds of cattle on cottonseed meal in England, Holland, 
 Denmark and on the plains of Texas. The lard manufac- 
 turer referred to submitted samples of cottonseed oil to the 
 
 Cotton Ginnery During the Busy Season. 
 
 leading chemists of Europe and America, who pronounced 
 it not only pure and absolutely free from objectionable mat- 
 ter, but one of the best of all vegetable oils, and he proceeded 
 to use the results of his investigations in the manufacture 
 of his "pure leaf lard," which product became one of the 
 most popular commodities of its kind under this brand, 
 and has continued to command satisfactory prices on the 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 26 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 market advertised under its own brand as a cottonseed oil 
 product. 
 
 J For many years the refiners were content to use ordinary 
 methods of refining, which produced an oil which had left 
 in it an acrid flavor with some other objectionable features 
 which prevented a general introduction and use of the oil 
 for edible purposes. Efforts were made to get it into gen- 
 eral consumption, but after the expenditure of large sums 
 for advertising, and without materially increasing the de- 
 mand, the manufacturers found it more profitable to export 
 the oil to foreign countries, where it was used in blending 
 with olive oil and in the manufacture of butter, and in large 
 quantities returned to America under other names, greatly 
 enhanced in value. At that time about two-thirds of the 
 oil was exported. At present only about one-third of the 
 oil is sent to foreign countries. 
 
 / The discovery of the Wesson process of refining cotton 
 oil, by which the product was put on the market in a con- 
 dition of absolute purity and flavor, gave a tremendous 
 impetus to the use of the oil in America, as it not only 
 proved a thoroughly wholesome product, but stimulated 
 the other manufacturers generally to the production of bet- 
 ter oils than they had previously produced. The bakers 
 were, perhaps, the first to acknowledge its value from an 
 economical standpoint. They were followed, naturally, by 
 the housekeepers and hotels of the country, and at present 
 the Wesson brand is the standard of excellence for all cot- 
 ton oil, and is almost as well known to the hotels, bakers 
 and households as flour, hogs' lard and butter. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 27 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 Some people still buy "pure olive oil" for salad purposes 
 and honestly believe that it is superior to cotton oil. 
 
 "Pure olive oil" is not much more than a catch word, 
 although, of course, the article may be entirely olive oil. 
 Much of the olive oil used locally in those countries where 
 it is produced for cooking purposes is so rank in flavor that 
 an American consumer would not touch it, nor an Amer- 
 ican stomach stand it. In many of those countries the 
 farmers carry the olives to the mills, simply have the oil 
 expressed and then put up in bladders. This is one kind 
 of "pure olive oil." 
 
 Why should any cotton grower use olive oil either for 
 salad or cooking purposes \vhen he can get cotton oil made 
 from his own seed that is just as pure, just as palatable and 
 in many cases more digestible than olive oil? Why should 
 any cotton farmer buy Western lard instead of hogless lard 
 or cotton oil and pay just as much for it per pound as he 
 pays for the Southern products which are just as much 
 his own products as the meal ground at the grist mills from 
 his own corn? 
 
 In European countries the best grade of cotton oil is j 
 used for salad and cooking, also in the manufacture of * 
 various kinds of butter compounds, called oleomargarine, . 
 etc. In those countries the use of cotton oil in this way is 
 encouraged by the governments because butter has become 
 so scarce that people of ordinary means are unable to use it 
 and desire something at lower prices of as good quality as 
 butter, and oleomargarine answers every purpose for which 
 butter is used. 
 
 The composition of this product is about sixty per cent. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 28 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 of fresh, sweet milk, about twenty-five per cent, of high- 
 grade cotton oil and fifteen per cent, of oleo stearine. The 
 formulas and percentages of each ingredient vary in differ- 
 ent sections, but these proportions represent the average. 
 Oleo stearine is manufactured from the choicest of beef 
 fats, thoroughly inspected by the government before it is 
 used in the manufacture of oleomargarine. It is used only 
 to give the mixture the consistency of butter. While other 
 governments, just as careful about the health of their 
 people as our own government, encourage the manufacture 
 of this product, our government levies a tax on oleomar- 
 
 \ garine of two cents per pound if uncolored and ten cents 
 per pound if colored. 
 
 I Butter manufacturers use a harmless coloring matter, 
 and oleomargarine manufacturers would do so if permitted, 
 simply to improve the appearance of the product and cater 
 to the prejudice of consumers, who prefer the golden-yellow 
 color, both in oleomargarine and in butter, to the white 
 product, 
 
 f In Denmark the people last year used over 60,000,000 
 pounds of oleomargarine. The population of that country 
 is only 2,000,000, so that the consumption really meant over 
 thirty pounds per capita. On the same basis the American 
 people would consume 3,000,000,000 pounds per annum, 
 and the oil needed for this production would amount to 
 over 2,300,000 barrels, possibly two-thirds of the produc- 
 tion of cotton oil in this country. 
 
 In 1880 about 130,000 barrels of oil were exported to 
 European countries and only about 20,000 barrels used in 
 the United States. The oil is now exported to almost every 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 29 
 
 0^ THE SOUTH 
 
 civilized country. The last Treasury statistics report, end- 
 ing February 23, shows shipments of from three barrels to 
 Port Maria, Jamaica, to 51,137 barrels to Rotterdam, Hol- 
 land. The average annual exports is about 1,000,000 bar- 
 rels, with an average value of about $16,000,000. The oil 
 is in general use throughout the entire Mediterranean 
 
 Type of Modern Crude til Mill. The Products Are Crude Cot- 
 tonseed Oil, Meal, Hulls and Linters. 
 
 basin the home of the olive oil. The bulk of the ship-; 
 ments go to England, Holland, Germany, France and Italy 1 
 The value of the exports from September 1 to February 
 24 amounted to about |6,000,000. Heavy tariffs levied by; 
 the governments of Germany, Italy, France and Austria, 
 together with the substitution of other vegetable oils for ' 
 cotton oil, have considerably reduced exports from this 
 country, but the decrease of the use of the oil in other ' 
 
r, 
 
 THE GREAT 
 
 30 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 countries has been made up by its domestic use. The total 
 production for the year 1909-1910 is estimated at around 
 3,000,000 barrels, of which fully 2,000,000 barrels will be 
 used at home. This remarkable increase, both in the pro- 
 duction and consumption, has been due to the recognition 
 of the high value of the product both in this country and 
 Europe. 
 
 Next to oil, cottonseed meal is the most important article 
 of the mills. Its best use is in feeding horses, cattle, sheep 
 and hogs, but considerable quantities of it are still used as 
 an ammoniate in commercial fertilizers. In addition to 
 the amount consumed at home the exports of cottonseed 
 meal for the year ending June 30, 1909, was over 600,000 
 tons, valued at about $16,000,000. The bulk of these ship- 
 ments have gone to Denmark, Germany, Holland, Norway, 
 England, Scotland and France. Denmark alone took over 
 200,000 tons and Germany nearly as much. All of the 
 ineal shipped to these foreign countries is used for stock 
 feeding. Danish bacon is famous all over Europe, and it 
 iV said that the hogs from which this bacon is raised are fat- 
 tened on cottonseed meal. 
 
 Linters are not classified in the Treasury Department 
 statistics and, consequently, no estimate of the value of this 
 product can be made. 
 
 The total annual value of the exports of all cottonseed 
 products averages about $30,000,000. 
 
 The late Colonel George W. Scott, of Decatur, Ga., was 
 the pioneer in the use of cottonseed meal as an ammoniate 
 for commercial fertilizers. His great success in its use 
 was quickly adopted by other manufacturers, and at the 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 31 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 present time this product is used extensively for this pur- 
 pose. A large number of mills have fertilizer factories in 
 connection with their oil mills. On account of their loca- 
 tion the local mills are able to deliver to the farmers 
 promptly the fertilizers as needed, and, having the meal as 
 one of their raw materials on hand, they are able to manu- 
 facture at a very reasonable cost. Popularity and value of 
 meal goods is now well known to all of the cotton farmers. 
 They are directly interested in its use because it gives a 
 greater value to the seed. 
 
 I The history of the njnj^o^is of the cotton oil industry is 
 he history of the Interstate Cottonseed Crushers' Asso- 
 ciation, which was organized in Nashville, Tenn., in July, 
 1897. The officers and members of this association are 
 engaged in the manufacture of cottonseed products and 
 personally interested in the success of the business. They 
 loyally, diligently and successfully devoted their time, their 
 intelligence and their energy to the promotion of the in- 
 dustry, in which not only they were personally interested, 
 but the interests of the farmers of the South were involved. 
 Membership in this association is the standard by which 
 men engaged in the industry are measured. Kecognizing 
 that publicity is the best method for promoting the success 
 of any product worthy of recognition the association 
 created a bureau for the purpose of showing the "Man from 
 Missouri," as well as the man from everywhere, the value 
 of cottonseed products. In addition to informing our own 
 people on this subject the Bureau of Publicity desired to 
 reach the world at large. With the active assistance and 
 encouragement of similar State organizations and of the 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 32 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 State Department at Washington and the Department of 
 Commerce and Labor, under the immediate supervision of 
 Hon. John M. Carson, chief of the Bureau of Manufactures, 
 a special agent, representing cottonseed products, was sent 
 to all parts of Europe to study the conditions affecting 
 these products. The United States consuls in all parts of 
 the world were instructed to make similar investigations 
 and report fully. This has been done for about three years, 
 and the results have been eminently successful and satis- 
 factory. 
 
 The publication of the reports from the special agents 
 and consular officers in American newspapers, trade jour- 
 nals and periodicals has intensified the interest in the 
 American product and it has been followed by a greatly in- 
 creased demand for it in America. So greatly has the do- 
 mestic demand increased that the European dealers, finding 
 the price so high in America as to make its use almost 
 prohibitive to them, have been scouring Europe to find 
 some substitute for it. The reports of trade journals and 
 consular reports clearly show that these substitutes are 
 compared with cotton oil as the standard before being 
 accepted. The exports this year hardly exceed one-third of 
 last year at the same time, but the increased demand for the 
 oil in the United States has taken all the surplus heretofore 
 exported. 
 
 Favorable responses to the publicity work of the asso- 
 ciation came much more quickly from the foreigners than 
 from our own people, especially our farmers, who are more 
 vitally interested than the people of any other country, and 
 while the farmers are showing much more interest than 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 33 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 formerly, many of them still do not fully recognize the 
 superiority of cottonseed products over all competing com- 
 modities. Some of them still believe that olive oil is better 
 for salads and cooking, because they have believed it all of 
 their lives, and some of them seem to think that hogs' lard 
 is as good as hogless lard. Time, however, will correct all 
 of this at home. The recognition of the full value of cotton 
 oil and its products is fast coming, if it has not already 
 arrived. There is, however, a more serious condition re- 
 
 Herd of Thirty Jersey Cows Fed on Cottonseed Meal. They 
 Furnish $100 of Cream Per Week. 
 
 garding the by-products cottonseed meal and hulls. 
 While these products are very generally used by our dairy- 
 men and stockmen, some of them continue to use corn and 
 oats and mixed Western feeds for stock feed, allowing 
 New England and Europe to haul away the meal and hulls 
 from their very doors. Some farmers continue to use blood 
 and other animal ammoniates in their fertilizers, ordered 
 from Western slaughter-houses, instead of using cottonseed / 
 meal- the best ammoiiiate in the world. They do not seem 
 to realize that this is a most wasteful method. Those 
 farmers who do this are acting contrary to their own inter- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 34 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 ests, directly and indirectly. By their failure to co-operate 
 with the oil mills they are depreciating the value of their 
 cottonseed. Such a policy is unwise and wasteful. The 
 mills can stand it better than the farmers, because the peo- 
 ple of every other country need and take the meal. Our 
 farmers possibly do not understand that there is not a 
 farm of seventy-five acres in Georgia that cannot raise some 
 beef cattle, practically without cost, as the droppings from 
 cattle fed on cottonseed meal and hulls, properly cared for, 
 is worth as much as the meal and hulls are as a fertilizer 
 before being fed. If a general policy of feeding some cattle 
 on every farm was adopted by our farmers it would lead to 
 the establishment of packing-houses, and this would make 
 the South the great live stock section of America. Instead 
 of bringing into Georgia about $750,000 worth of beef every 
 week, and sending that much money out of Georgia, as one 
 packer has recently stated : Georgia would be shipping beef 
 to other States and bringing into the State an equal amount 
 or more money than they are now sending away. The 
 benefit of the change is easily understood. 
 
 Dr. A. M. Soule, president of the Georgia College of Agri- 
 culture, in an address recently delivered at Macon, shows 
 that by the use of cottonseed meal as a feed for mules the 
 farmers of Georgia can raise as fine mules as the West at 
 a cost of about $60, instead of $160, average cost per head of 
 Western stock. Judge Henry C. Hammond, of Augusta, 
 has shown by his own personal experience of years that 
 horses as work stock can be economically and successfully 
 raised and worked on cottonseed meal feed. 
 
 Opportunities on these lines are almost limitless and in 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 35 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 time will be fully utilized, but every day that this is post- 
 poned is deferring the further and greater and general _ 
 prosperity of this section. 
 
 At the annual meeting of the Interstate Cottonseed 
 Crushers' Association in Louisville, Ky., in May, 1908, the 
 president of the association cited the reports of consular 
 officers and special agents showing the great interest inl 
 cotton oil in foreign countries and America and, based on\ 
 these reports, predicted a shortage in vegetable oils, and 
 consequently the high prices that would follow. The 
 cotton oil interests of the South realized this year the 
 soundness of the prediction: the shortage developed and 
 the high prices followed the highest for cotton oil ever 
 known. It is safe to say that nothing less than a financial 
 panic can bring about much lower prices in years to come. 
 The population of the world is increasing, while the pro- 
 duction of vegetable oils shows no appreciable increase, ani 
 new uses are being found for all of these oils. A butl 
 shortage, almost a famine; already exists, and it is said thj 
 in some parts of Europe the people have not seen real butl 
 in twenty years. Oleomargarine, composed largely of 
 cotton oil, has satisfactorily supplanted it. The demand 
 for this commodity is constantly increasing, necessitating 
 a greater consumption of cotton oil. Hogless lard com-*"*' 
 pounds are more generally used every year and cotton/ 
 oil is the largest factor in the manufacture of this product, 
 while the demand for the oil itself is constantly increasing. 
 There is nothing in present conditions to indicate that \ 
 cotton oil will ever reach the former low levels of prices. 
 
 In answer to questions from an old Confederate veteran 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 36 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 at Mount Airy, Ga., I told hi in how we now made cotton oil 
 that fed the people in place of butter and lard ; cottonseed 
 meal that was now used in making bread, taking the place 
 of wheat and corn bread, and how this commodity further 
 supported and fattened horses, mules, cattle and hogs, fer- 
 tilized ihe land and made big crops of all kinds; linters 
 that were used in the manufacture of quilts, mattresses, 
 pillows and paper, as well as gun cotton, and hulls that 
 took the place in feeding cattle of timothy hay, corn fodder, 
 shucks and all other roughage. As I continued to enumer- 
 ate these products and their use, the old soldier jumped to 
 his feet and said : "If we had had oil mills during the war 
 the Yankees could never have whipped us." After cooling 
 down a litle he added: "You know the Yanks never did 
 whip us, they just starved us out, and they could never have 
 done this If we had had oil mills," and the old hero almost 
 wept over the neglected opportunities. 
 
 It is not at all likely that the question of "whipping the 
 Yanks" will ever come up for consideration again, but the 
 veteran's view of the possibilities of cottonseed products 
 was not overrated. 
 
 The farmer in selling his seed, the mills in crushing them, 
 the refiners in putting the oil in marketable condition, the 
 brokers who have handled the product and the trade jour- 
 nals which have advertised them have all done their part in 
 the development of this great industry. If they would all 
 pull together, the farmer using the mills- products more 
 extensively, the crude mill recognizing its dependence upon 
 the farmer for its seed, the refiner dealing liberally with 
 the crude mill for his oil, the brokers increasing, so far as 
 
THE GREAT 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 37 
 
 possible, the value of the products and the trade journals 
 
 continuing to do their splendid part in the work, the money 
 
 * 
 
 value of the product of this industry would be greatly 
 
 Champion Cow of Georgia. Gives Annually, Butter 544-3, Milk 
 
 9,252. "Pearl" the Best Cozv in the Best Herd, Under 
 
 Daily Observation, is fed on Cottonseed Meal 
 
 to Increase Her Wonderful Production. 
 
 enhanced, and it is not impossible, if this is done, that we 
 may soon be able to report, as an accomplished fact, that 
 the value of the seed is equal to the value of the cotton 
 itself. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 38 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 COTTONSEED AND COTTONSEED PRODUCTS. 
 
 (Address before the Cotton School of the University of 
 Georgia, Athens, Ga., January, 1908.) 
 
 THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE FARMER AND THE OIL MILLS- 
 HOW EACH IS BENEFITTED BY AND DEPENDENT UPON THE 
 OTHER THE PRODUCTS MADE FROM COTTONSEED AND 
 HOW, BY THE MANUFACTURE OF THESE PRODUCTS, THE 
 MILLS HAVE GREATLY INCREASED THE VALUE OF THE 
 COTTON CROP. 
 
 I read a story some time since about a man who said lie 
 was going out to give his friends some good advice about 
 their business. He returned very shortly and, on being 
 asked whether or not he had carried out his intentions, he 
 said he had not, because as soon as he undertook to tell 
 his friends something about their business they tried to 
 advise him about his business, and that was one thing he 
 would not allow anybody to do. I don't want you to think 
 I am advising you entirely about your business, because in 
 the proposition I am expected to discuss I am almost as 
 much interested as you are. 
 
 You have been told, and will be told by others, all about 
 the selection of seed for planting and the advantages to 
 you in doing this from an increased yield of the fibre. My 
 part of the program in this respect is to tell you how you 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 39 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 may benefit by a better selection and handling of the seed 
 by increasing the value of the seed itself and to explain^ 
 to you how the oil mills will be benefited by such action 
 on your part. 
 
 If 1 was asked broadly to state how this result may be 
 accomplished quickest I would answer : First, plant better 
 seed and take better care of them, and, second, buy more of i 
 the products of the oil mills. 
 
 If you want to get more money for your seed you must 
 furnish the mills better seed and you must consume as 
 much of their product as possible, which will increase the 
 value of the products and, necessarily, enhance the value of 
 the seed. 
 
 When George Francis Train was asked how Kansas City 
 could become as large a pork-packing center as Chicago, he 
 answered, "Kill more pigs." On the same line, to get 
 better prices you must furnish better seed and you must 
 buy more of the products of the seed. 
 
 In a report of the Department of Commerce and Labor, 
 1906, published under the direction of the Director of the 
 Census, it is stated : 
 
 "Possibly the most difficult problem in connection with 
 the cottonseed products industry is the proper storing and 
 preservation of these seed. The lint is almost waterproofs* 
 and is but little injured in passing from the field to the 
 factory, but not so with the seed, which is very easily 
 injured and reaches the mill in much worse condition rela- 
 tively than the lint. In wet seasons this depreciation 
 amounts to a large percentage of the value of the seed, and 
 the products from such damaged seed must be sold for very 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 40 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 inferior uses. The value of the oil shipped depends upon 
 the condition of the seed when it reaches the mill. Evi- 
 dently the products manufactured from cottonseed would 
 be more useful and valuable if they were carefully handled 
 and the good and bad seed kept separate. To accomplish 
 this the co-operation of the grower, ginner and miller is 
 required." 
 
 A seed crop worth one hundred million dollars to the 
 South, and which if it were all converted into cottonseed 
 products would add more than another hundred million 
 dollars to the value of the manufactured products of the 
 South, is worth saving and is worth your most serious con- 
 sideration. 
 
 r The establishment of oil mills in Georgia has made the 
 value of your seed crop this year equal to the cost of all .the 
 commercial fertilizers used by you under all of the crops 
 planted in Georgia of every kind and character, while the 
 excess over the cost of fertilizers will pay the cost of gin- 
 
 i ning and packing the cotton crop ; or the value of the seed 
 crop will pay all the cost of picking your cotton and gin- 
 
 / ning it, including the cost of the bagging ; or it will pay the 
 cost of the fertilizer and the ginning and packing of the 
 cotton crop of the State. The mills further add to this 
 magnificent sum by converting the seed into edible oil rival- 
 ing the famous olive oil of Europe; and by transforming 
 this oil into products as useful and more wholesome than 
 any animal fat, and still further increase these values by 
 manufacturing from the seed a stock food exceeding in 
 feeding value all other known feeding materials. 
 
 They also encourage the dairy interests of the South and 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 41 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 will eventual y create a great cattle industry, followed by 
 the establishment of packing-houses. 
 
 Does not this increase in value of Georgia productions 
 and the uses to which these products are put convince you 
 of the great waste of wealth when any of the seed not 
 needed for planting are used for any other purpose than 
 milling? And does it not further convince you that you 
 should co-operate with the mills in improving the quality 
 of rhe seed by better care and handling and by using exten- 
 sively the products from the seed ? 
 
 When you are tempted to use cotonseed for feeding stock 
 or for fertilizing the land you should remember that in 
 every bushel of seed used you are absolutely throwing away 
 about two-thirds of a gallon of the best oil known to the 
 woi^ld. When you feed seed to cattle, even the finest Jersey 
 ever bred, it is like "casting pearls before swine." Fertiliz- 
 ing the land with it no crop ever grown not even our 
 "King Cotton," or his royal brother, held sacred and wor- 
 shipped by the Hindus would countenance, because of the 
 wanton waste of such splendid material. 
 
 Mr. Edward Lehman Johnson, of Memphis, Tenn., who 
 has had many years of experience in operating oil mills 
 and who is a well known writer on this subject, estimates 
 that the damage to the cottonseed crop of the South an- 
 nally is about ten million dollars, due almost entirely, 
 except in very bad seasons, to the careless and negligent 
 methods of handling these seeds at the ginneries and on the 
 farms. 
 
 If the mills should use some of the seed shipped them in 
 making oil this oil would have no better flavor or taste 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 42 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 than the olive oil made from fruit that matures early and 
 drops from the trees, and which a writer describes as "de- 
 testable." 
 
 The average seed received from the mills is of almost 
 every known variety and contains a certain amount of 
 immature bolls, trash and other foreign matter. Our 
 Athens manager once sent me several rifle cartridges taken 
 from the seed by the cleaning machinery. Improved clean- 
 ing machinery extracts from the seed a large amount of 
 similar substances, including nails, bolts, screws, keys and 
 rocks. All this adds to the weight of the seed and costs 
 the mill as much money as the seed itself, but does not 
 yield oil or meal and, consequently, is valueless to the mills 
 
 Hundreds of tons of seed are lost every year by the 
 loose way in which seed are scattered around the ginneries 
 and seed houses. Claims for shortage in weights are often 
 made on the mills by shippers who waste the seed in this 
 manner. Sometimes the farmers who haul the seed to the 
 mill and the shippers mix the good seed with the bad; the 
 mills, of course, grade all such seed as bad, as the products 
 from such seed can only be used for such purposes as in- 
 ferior seed will produce. A small amount of such off- 
 quality seed depreciates the entire shipment. 
 
 At a meeting of the Interstate Cottonseed Crushers' Asso- 
 ciation, held in Atlanta about two years ago, Mr. E. Van 
 Winkle, of Atlanta, a well-known manufacturer of oil mill 
 machinery, suggested to the convention that a standard for 
 seed should be established and all shipments graded on the 
 same plan as wheat, corn, oats and other grains then desig- 
 nated and that all shipments should be graded up or down 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 43 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 from this standard. Certainly, such a plan would be fair 
 and just to all parties. But nothing was done at that time, 
 as it was thought best to interest the farmers themselves in 
 this matter. If you farmers will consider and discuss it in 
 your various organizations you will bring about an im- 
 provement much quicker than it is possible for the mills 
 to accomplish. 
 
 The invisible loss in milling cottonseed varies from five 
 to ten per cent., clue very largely to the quality of the seed 
 and the foreign substances mixed with it. Even when all 
 the seed are sound some are not fully matured and also 
 contain a large percentage of motes, bolls, trash, etc., which 
 have to be separated from the seed before the seed are 
 crushed, and is a total loss to the mills. This waste costs \ 
 the mills as much money as the perfect seed. 
 
 So far as I know, there has never been any investigation 
 to determine the effect of soil, climate, fertilization or culti- 
 vation on the value of cottonseed for milling purposes. 
 Doubtless this Avill come with the progress of the cotton oil 
 industry. In the meantime, the mills have been governed 
 in their estimate of the value of the seed by the different^ 
 varieties grown and by the results of chemical analyses of 
 such varieties and the actual yield of products obtained 
 in milling. In referring to analyses you must bear in 
 mind that the chemist uses only one hundred seed in 
 making each test, and that there is over six million in a 
 ton, consequently, analyses are only approximately correct 
 and answer only for comparisons. 
 
 These analytical and practical tests of seed have shown ( 
 that the black varieties, practically free from fiber, give 
 
r 
 
 THE GREAT 
 
 44 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 the highest yield of oil and meal. This larger percentage 
 of oil is due to some extent to the fact that the seed do 
 not contain any lint and are almost entirely free from any 
 foreign matter. 
 
 The green seed show by analyses and tests as second in 
 T alue to the black seed for milling purposes, and the white 
 varieties give the lowest results in yields of products. 
 
 The quantity of oil available by the best milling 
 processes is only about eighty per cent, of the quantity 
 shown by analyses to be in the seed, while ordinary milling 
 processes produced even smaller yield. This must be con- 
 sidered in connection with the analyses. 
 
 This is a sample of Sea Island seed, used in Georgia by the 
 coast mills in the section where this variety is grown. 
 These seed contain by analysis about twenty-two and one- 
 half per cent, oil, about thirty per cent, of protein, or about 
 6 per cent, ammonia. 
 
 This is a sample of what is known as the Peterkin, a 
 hybrid black variety, almost entirely free from fiber. 
 These seed are now grown in all parts of the State and 
 almost every shipment contains some of them. In some 
 sections of the State a very large percentage of the total 
 receipts at the mills are of this variety. Analyses show 
 that they contain about twenty-two and one-half per cent, 
 of oil and about twenty-one per cent, of protein, or four per 
 cent, ammonia. 
 
 This is a typical sample of green seed and contains about 
 twenty-two and one-half per cent, of oil and about eighteen 
 per cent, of protein or eight and one-half per cent, of 
 ammonia. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 45 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 This sample represents the best type of the white variety, 
 planted most extensively in Georgia. It contains only 
 about eighteen and three-quarters per cent, of oil and 
 seventeen and one-half per cent, of protein, or three and 
 one-quarter per cent, ammonia. 
 
 None of the varieties, except Sea Island come to the mills 
 free from trash. 
 
 This type represents an average sample as the seed are 
 received at the mills. They are mixed with all varieties, 
 consequently sometimes show a larger amount of oil than 
 white seed because of the large percentage of black and 
 green varieties mixed with them. Average seed like these 
 will show about twenty-one per cent, of oil, eighteen per 
 cent, protein, or three and one-half per cent, ammonia after 
 being cleaned of trash and foreign substances. 
 
 Some recent examinations of seed representing samples 
 from all parts of the State show about thirteen per cent, 
 black, about sixty-nine per cent, white and eighteen per 
 cent, green. 
 
 These comments on the different varieties are based on 
 good, sound, dry seed. Slightly damaged seed sometimes 
 contain as large a percentage of the niotes arid kernels as 
 sound seed, but if badly damaged the kernels will weigh 
 only a small proportion of the amount of the kernels in 
 sound seed ; but in both cases the oil is unfit for use except 
 in the soap kettle, and the meal is fit only for fertilizer 
 purposes. 
 
 This is a sample of trash, etc.. separated from the seed 
 before milling. 
 
 I show you here a sample of sound and damaged seed 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 46 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 and of prime oil and meal made from the good seed and 
 similar samples of oil and meal made from damaged seed. 
 You can readily see the difference. 
 
 The refining loss on oil made from good, sweet seed is 
 * usually between five and six per cent. On oil made from 
 damaged seed this loss will run from ten to thirty per cent., 
 or even higher, showing the annual loss to the mills from 
 seed not carefully handled. The oil made from sweet seed 
 is a perfectly edible product; Avhen made from damaged 
 seed its color and flavor are depreciated and it is used only 
 for inferior purposes. 
 
 The damage to seed results from excessive moisture and 
 from exposure to the weather of the seed cotton or the seed, 
 and from germination when stored in houses where the heat 
 from large piles of seed produces germination. Sometimes 
 in parts of the State cotton is picked and piled in the fields 
 and then left for days and even Aveeks during the rainy 
 weather. Consequently, th'e mills in that section rarely 
 ever make prime oil. Of course, the seed heat and are 
 often badly damaged before the cotton is ginned. In a 
 recent investigation I found that in one section of the 
 State, where the conditions mentioned prevail, over thirty 
 per cent, of the seed w r ere badly damaged and all of them 
 more or less damaged, while the average amount of damage 
 for the entire State did not exceed six per cent, 
 
 To prevent damage to seed requires only the exercise of 
 ordinary business intelligence. The seed cotton should 
 never be allowed to lie out in the field. If the farmer is not 
 prepared to gin it when picked he should at least not allow 
 it to be exposed to the weather. But if the seed cotton is 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 47 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 stored under shelter the pile should be opened often and 
 exposed to sunlight in order that the moisure may be dried 
 out. This is especialiy true of the early picked cotton, bufr 
 really applies to all. The seed should never be stored in 
 great piles in warm houses when moisture is created ana, 
 heating and damage follow, and, of course, they should 
 never be left without shelter in rainy weather. Whenever 
 stored they should be opened to the sunlight often. A few 
 simple precautions of this sort would result in the saving 
 of thousands of tons of seed that are wasted every year. I 
 think some of my farmer friends may say that such seed are 
 not wasted because they are used for fertilizer, but in com- 
 parison to the value of the seed for milling purposes I must 
 contend that they are wasted. In some parts of the South 
 where they do not use fertilizers the damaged seed are en- 
 tirely and absolutely wasted. 
 
 In order to impress upon you the necessity for properly 
 handling your cottonseed, in your interest as well as that 
 of the oil mills, and to give you some idea of the importance 
 of the great cottonseed crushing industry, I will show you 
 samples of the products that are made from the seed. 
 
 To convert the seed into these products over one hun- \ 
 dred million dollars is invested in the United States alone, 
 in over eight hundred establishments, employing possibly 
 forty thousand men; these various establishments are 
 located in all parts of the Union, and many others in various t 
 parts of the European countries. These industries have 
 increased the foreign trade of the United States over thirty 
 million dollars annually, by the export of cottonseed prod- 
 
 i 
 
 ucts, adding to the golden stream constantly crossing, the 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 48 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 waters to move the cotton crop of the South, thus aiding 
 /4nd keeping the balance of trade between the United States 
 /and Europe in favor of our country, which last year ex- 
 / ceeded half a billion dollars. To these magnificent results 
 you farmers of the South are contributing enormously, in- 
 asmuch as the value of your cotton crop alone is equal to 
 the balance of trade in favor of the United States. 
 
 Beginning with what is known as crude mill products we 
 nave crude oil, prime quality, made from prime seed; crude 
 / oil, off quality, made from off-quality seed; cottonseed 
 meai, made from prime seed ; cottonseed meal, made from 
 off-quality or damaged seed; cottonseed hulls; cottonseed 
 li liters. 
 
 You will note the difference between the prime and off- 
 quality in these products, due to the quality of the seed 
 from which they are produced. 
 
 This crude oil when of sufficiently high quality is con- 
 verted into edible oils after undergoing refining processes. 
 
 I 
 
 The off oil is likewise refined, but is used for other than 
 
 edible purposes. The cottonseed meal, as you all know, is 
 used for stock feed and for mixing with fertilizers. Cotton- 
 seed hulls are also used for stock feed. It has been demon- 
 Strated, too, that these hulls can be converted into a pulp 
 or the manufacture of rough paper. The linters are used 
 n the manufacture of mattresses, quilts, pillows and va- 
 rious other purposes for which short fibre may be utilized. 
 I also call to your attention this sample of commercial 
 * fertilizer ammoniated with cottonseed meal. I have also 
 here type samples of mattresses, quilts, etc., manufactured 
 / from linters. An important use made of linters is in the 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 49 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 manufacture of gun cotton, a highly explosive substance 
 used for all purposes where explosives are needed. 
 
 Going back to the uses for prime crude oil, I wish to ex- 
 plain to you that this is refined into what is known as prime 
 summer yellow oil, like this sample. In the refining pro-f 
 cess the refuse is known as "soap stock," like this sample 
 and which is used in the manufacture of both toilet and' 
 laundry soaps. The prime summer yellow oil itself, which ' 
 can only be made from good seed, is then converted into va- 
 rious edible products, samples of which I will show you as 
 follows: Salad oil, cooking oil. lard compounds, and but-) 
 terine and oleomargarine, which, as you will observe, are( 
 most excellent substitutes for butter. 
 
 In the highest grades of what are known to the trade as 
 lard compounds, about 'ninety-nine per cent, of the com- 
 pound is pure cottonseed oil, the balance is usually oleo 
 stearine, or beef tallow. A new use for the highest grade re/ 
 fined oils is in ice cream. I am sorry conditions prevent my 
 showing you a sample of that, but it has been successfully 
 and satisfactorily used for this purpose. The soap stock isj 
 used, as previously explained, in the manufacture of toilet* 
 and laundi^y soap, such as these samples. 
 
 The best grade of cottonseed oil is now used also for me- . 
 dicinal purposes, thus giving to it the highest possible in- 
 dorsement. Dr. George Brown, of Atlanta, has manufac- 
 tured and placed on the market an emulsion of cottonseed ( 
 oil, like this sample, which is used as a substitute for cod- 
 liver oil. He assured me that it is far superior to codliver 
 oil in the treatment of cases wherever that oil has been 
 used. He states that the majority of people who need cod- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 50 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 liver oil most are unable to take it because they could not 
 digest it, besides, the taste and flavor are objectionable, 
 which is not the case with cottonseed oil, which is palat- 
 able. He says he has never yet seen a patient whose 
 stomach was so delicate that he could not thoroughly digest 
 cottonseed oil. 
 
 In order to give you a further idea of the quality of the 
 products made from the seed, I show you here a sample of 
 high-grade cottonseed oil and alongside of it a sample of 
 absolutely pure olive oil, which the world has for genera- 
 tions considered the best of edible oils. This grade of 
 cottonseed oil is equally as good as any olive oil, only we 
 have not idealized it as the growers of olive oil have done. 
 Olive oil, therefore, is preferred by some people only be- 
 cause of its longer use and because in certain countries 
 consumers have become more accustomed to it. 
 
 It is almost impossible to detect the difference. So gen- 
 erally was cottonseed oil accepted as olive oil that some 
 years ago it was reported that the olive growers of Califor- 
 nia petitioned Congress, or through their representative, 
 endeavored to pass a law taxing cottonseed oil heavily for 
 the protection of the olive growers, and it was stated that 
 one of the reasons given for this was that consumers were 
 becoming so accustomed to the taste and flavor of cotton- 
 seed oil that in a few years olive oil would be considered 
 adulterated. 
 
 Recently the Olive Growers' Association of California 
 published a vicious attack on cottonseed oil. Sam Jones 
 used to say that it was the "hit dog that howled." The 
 animus of the California publication shows that somebody 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 51 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 has been hit and hit hard ; and it also shows that the manu- 
 facturers of cottonseed oil must expect these sort of at-_ 
 tacks and must hold up the product to its present high 
 standard. The farmers can greatly help in this work by 
 more careful handling of the seed, which insures to the con- 
 sumer of oil a perfect product. 
 
 In order that you may appreciate the production of cot- 
 tonseed oil in comparison with other edible oils with which 
 it competes, I will state that although the olive groves have 
 existed since the time when the "mind of man runneth not 
 to the contrary" while the manufacture of cottonseed oil|V 
 is scarcely a generation old it now about equals the pro- 
 duction of olive oil, amounting to probably three million 
 barrels annually. The ground-nut, or, as we say in Georgia, 
 "goober," production of oil averages about 250,000 barrels \ 
 annually, and the Sesame yield about 225,000. In Spain 
 the average yield of oil per acre is about twenty gallons. 
 
 While the total olive crop of Europe is about the same as ^ 
 the cottonseed oil crop, the olive crop as well as the other 
 seed and nut crops, are about the same amount every year, 
 showing very little increase. But even without an increase( 
 in the acreage in cotton the prodiTction of cottonseed oil 
 can be considerably increased by better selection of plant- 
 ing seed and better care in the handling of the seed. 
 
 In producing the cotton crop the Southern farmer f 
 grows on the same land about half as much oil as the Span- ( 
 ish olive grower and has, in addition, produced from the 
 seed three other important products, all having valuable 
 uses, viz., meal, hulls and linters. The value of the seed ' 
 and products of cottonseed per acre is about equal to the 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 52 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 , value per acre of the olive crop. The mills have, therefore, 
 taken a by-product of cotton and with it alone increased the 
 productive capacity of the cotton lands in the South by as 
 much as the total productive capacity of the olive groves. 
 
 It may interest you to know that during the worst part of 
 the recent financial panic when European exchange even 
 for cotton shipments, could not be negotiated, that the 
 European buyers of cottonseed oil offered to send over 
 gold to purchase seed with which to make the oil for their 
 use. It would be difficult to find a higher estimate of the 
 value of any product than this. 
 
 Negotiations are now pending between France and the 
 United States by which this country abates a part of its 
 duty on champagne in consideration of an abatement by 
 France of its maximum duties on cottonseed oil. This 
 shows the high value placed on cottonseed by France, and 
 incidentally, is interesting to Georgians in these prohibi- 
 tion da#s. 
 
 ^To^urther develop the crude cottonseed oil industry it is 
 'necessary for the mills to have the strongest possible co- 
 operation of the farmers and producers of the seed. The 
 margin of profit to the crude oil mill is very small. This 
 can only be increased as higher values obtain for cottonseed 
 products, when our own people, and especially our farmers, 
 purchase and use more extensively the products of the 
 crude mill. If they will do this they will put the crude oil 
 mills on a solid financial foundation and at the same time 
 greatly benefit themselves, not only by enabling the mills to 
 pay higher prices for seed, but by getting better products 
 than they are now doing. This consumption has greatly 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 53 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 increased within the last few years, but there is room for 
 further increase, and with the assistance of the farmers 
 who produce the seed the crude mills will be largely inde- 
 pendent of speculative markets for oil which tend to the 
 depreciation of this most valuable product. 
 
 You have been told time and again about the magnifi- 
 cence of the cotton crop and will be told again, but no mat- 
 ter how often the same old story is told it is as true as the 
 first time it was stated. 
 
 When five hundred pounds of wheat crosses the water it I 
 sends back to America only about ten dollars in gold. But/ 
 whenever five hundred pounds of cotton crosses the ocean 
 it sends back to us about sixty dollars of European gold/ 
 It is not surprising, therefore, that when the business men 
 and manufacturers of the country needed gold so badly in 
 the decent panic they kept insisting that financial condi- 
 tions Avould not improve until cotton moved. 
 
 You clothe with cotton a greater part of the world's pop- 
 ulation than is clothed with any other fibre, and with your 
 cottonseed products you are contributing largely to the 
 support of the population. 
 
 The manufacturers of automobiles have shown you how \ 
 to make horseless carriages and I have endeavored to show 
 you how to make edible oil without olives; medicinal oil j 
 without codfish ; butter without cows ; ice cream without 
 cream; lard without hogs; fertilizers without blood; mat- 
 tresses without hair; stock feed without corn or oats and 
 explosives without powder, and this has all been done by 
 producing as good or better articles than the originals, and 
 it has all been accomplished with the little seed grown by 
 you on the hillsides and in the valleys of old Georgia. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 54 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 THE DAIRY AND OIL MILL INTERESTS. 
 
 (Address before the Georgia Dairy Association, Griffin, 
 
 Ga.) 
 
 HOW THE OIL MILL HAS BENEFITTED THE DAIRY INTERESTS 
 AND CATTLE RAISING INDUSTRY HOW THESE COMBINED 
 INTERESTS MAY BE FURTHER PROMOTED BY CLOSER RE- 
 LATIONS. 
 
 My friend, Professor Willoughby, invited me to talk to 
 you not longer than twenty minutes on the subject "The Re- 
 lations of Livestock Owners and Dairymen to Oil Mills." 
 I could talk to you twenty days on the oil mill end of the 
 proposition, but if confined to livestock and dairying I am 
 sure I could tell you all I know in twenty seconds. 
 
 1 belong to that crowd described by Colonel Starke, of 
 Mississippi, as being "too poor to keep a cow and too proud 
 to milk a goat." The nearest I ever came to being a stock 
 raiser or dairyman was when I used to hold the calf off for 
 some one else to do the milking, and then the calf didn't 
 seem to think that I was doing much toward his raising. 
 But this has been so many years ago that I have almost 
 forgotten what a cow looks like. 
 
 Most, if not all, of you livestock breeders and dairymen 
 are farmers also. Perhaps I know just a little more about 
 farming than about raising livestock. For ten years I was 
 Secretary of the South Carolina Department of Agricul- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 55 
 
 Cartoon, ''Getting Together." 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 56 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 ture, during which time i studied agriculture as closely 
 and as thoroughly as my clerical duties would permit. 
 When I graduated from that department and went into oil 
 milling I had learned enough about farming to know how 
 many tax tags it required for a ton of guano. All that I 
 have learned about farming since then is that cottonseed 
 meal ammoniated fertilizers are the best for Georgia soils 
 and Georgia crops. Notwithstanding my ignorance about 
 stock raising and farming, I hope in the time allowed me 
 to show you that our relationship is a very close one that 
 we have so many interests in common that we can trace our 
 relationship without the aid of a pedigree. 
 
 We believe that the oil mills by producing the best stock 
 feed ever made, dairying and stock raising in the South 
 will be possible and we hope profitable. These products 
 have placed the live stock interests of the South on a plane 
 with the live stock interests of the West. By using cotton- 
 seed meal and hulls you have helped the mills. We are 
 more or less dependent on you and you are partly depend- 
 ent on us. When a live stock raiser or a dairyman is a 
 farmer also it is always to his interest to exchange his seed 
 with the mills for meal and hulls. The mills are always 
 anxious to do this and by such exchanges both parties are 
 benefitted. These exchanges can be made on a basis of 
 pounds or on the cash values of seed and meal and hulls at 
 the time of the exchange. 
 
 A pamphlet recently published by the National Depart- 
 ment of Agriculture, gives the result of experiments in the 
 use of raw seed and meal in fertilizing land, which shows 
 that it is a great deal better to use the meal than the seed 
 
THE QREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 57 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 for this purpose. Comparatively few seed are fed to cattle 
 and in most cases this is only when the seed are too far 
 from railroads to be hauled. I believe it is pretty well es- 
 tablished that the meal and hulls as a feed for stock are far 
 superior to the raw or cooked whole seed. 
 
 I assume, of course, you all know that cottonseed meal 
 and hulls make the best stock feed in the world, but it may 
 not be improper for me to tell you something about what 
 other people think of it. 
 
 The government special agent, Mr. Ben ton, appointed 
 from Georgia to travel through the Netherlands, Denmark 
 and other European countries, reported that at every point 
 visited he found cottonseed meal in high favor with all 
 stock raisers of those countries. 
 
 At the famous Tri folium dairy in Denmark, 15,000 head 
 of milk cows are fed on cottonseed meal. In all parts of 
 the South and throughout New England cottonseed meal 
 is the most popular of all dairy foods, and in actual feed- 
 ing value it stands at the head of all American feed stuffs. 
 
 Judge Hammond, of Augusta, has demonstrated that 
 when properly used it is the best feed for horses ; while Mr. 
 Allison, of Texas, has proven beyond question its great 
 value for fattening pigs. 
 
 Danish bacon, famous all over Europe for its delicacy of 
 flavor, is said to be mad^ from hogs fattened on cottonseed 
 meal. It seems, therefore, that as a feed for all animals 
 this product has proven entirely satisfactory. 
 
 In the South we are fortunate in having cottonseed hulls, 
 which the other countries have not, and which, when added 
 to the meal in proper proportions, makes a complete ration. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 58 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 I cannot impress upon you too strongly the fact that the 
 /interests of the stock raisers, dairymen, farmers and oil 
 mills are mutual. As a matter of fact the mills work largely 
 on a toll basis, just as the corn mills do. They figure on 
 the cost of seed, cost of working and the value of the prod- 
 ucts, leaving a margin for reasonable profits. Sometimes 
 they have obtained these profits and sometimes not. But 
 during the operating season they try to make such a differ- 
 ence between the cost of the seed worked up and the value 
 of the finished product as to give them only a fair profit. 
 As the greater part of the dairy products and beef cattle of 
 the South are consumed at home the two interests should 
 in every possible way work together. 
 
 In a recent conference with representatives of the South- 
 ern Cotton Growers' Association the values of seed were 
 discussed with representatives of the Interstate Cotton- 
 seed Crushers' Association. The quality of the seed from 
 North Carolina to Texas was considered along with the 
 yields, cost of working, freight rates, quality of the prod- 
 ucts and other matters of the same kind, and it was unani- 
 mously decided that owing to the varied conditions in the 
 different sections of the State that no definite value could 
 be fixed on seed so far as the oil mills are concerned. But 
 the representatives of the Southern Cotton Growers' Asso- 
 ciation recognizing the importance to the farmer of in- 
 creasing the value of cottonseed products decided that they 
 would advocate personally and through their association 
 an increased use of all cottonseed products by the farmers 
 themselves, substituting entirely cottonseed oil and com- 
 pounds made from it for hogs' lard and meal and hulls for 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 59 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 wheat bran, corn meal, hay and other products hauled from 
 the West. 
 
 The total production of seed in the South on a basis of 
 13,000,000 bale cotton crop is approximately 6,500,000 tons. 
 If 3,000,000 tons are used for all other purposes it will 
 leave about 3,500,000 tons for crushing. If the products 
 from these seed were used at home it would increase the 
 dairy business and cattle raising, which would be followed 
 
 Six Horses and a Mule, Which Get a Daily Ration of Cottonseed 
 
 Meal. 
 
 by the establishment of packing houses, adding another 
 great industry to this section. When all cottonseed prod- 
 ucts are used in the South, as will be done some time, it 
 will increase the commercial value of cottonseed and con- 
 sequently add largely to the value of the cotton crop. 
 
 We are now exporting to Europe about one-third of the 
 production of cottonseed nieal and one-third of the cotton- 
 seed oil produced, and we ought not to export a single J 
 pound of meal or a single gallon of oil. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 60 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 Some years ago there was a flourishing industry in the 
 United States in which the dairymen and the oil mills were 
 mutually interested, but which through national laws has 
 practically been wiped out of existence. This was the manu- 
 facture of oleomargarine. For this product you furnished 
 the milk and the oil mills furnished the oil. You prob- 
 ably feel about oleomargarine as the South Carolina editor 
 did who said it was a "horrible thought to him that as good 
 butter could be made out of the fat of a steer as from the 
 milk of the most beautiful Jersey in the South. 7 ' That was 
 sentiment with him, but with the oil mills and the dairymen 
 it is a business proposition. So far as I know there is no 
 movement on foot to repeal the oleomargarine laws, but it 
 may be well for our dairymen to consider whether or not 
 the repeal of these laws might not be beneficial to them in- 
 stead of harmful. There is no question about the purity 
 and wholesomeness of oleomargarine when properly manu- 
 factured. It furnishes a good substitute for butter at a 
 price within the reach of the poorest people and is good 
 enough for the richest. By the use of cottonseed meal and 
 hulls and by such produce as is raised on the farms there is 
 no question about the ability of our dairies to produce large 
 quantities of milk at a reasonable cost. 
 
 There seems to be some question about whether or not 
 the manufacture of butter at our dairies is profitable. In 
 the manufacture of oleomargarine sixty per cent, of the 
 weight is milk, the balance is cottonseed oil and beef stear- 
 inc. The establishment of an oleomargarine factory at 
 some central point would give an enormous demand for 
 milk which necessarily would increase its value. Would it 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 61 
 
 1 
 
 be better for you to sell milk and create a large demand for 
 it at better prices than you are now getting, or to manu- 
 facture butter? 
 
 Holland is the largest butter making country in the\ 
 world. Holland also takes the largest amount of cotton- [ 
 seed oil exported from America. That country is also the 
 largest manufacturer of oleomargarine. As far as I know 
 (here is no antagonism between the butter makers of Hol- 
 land and the manufacturers of oleomargarine ; they appar- 
 ently work together for their mutual interests, and the 
 dairymen do not object to the oleomargarine factories 
 which consume large quantities of milk. If that country 
 
 Colt Three Hours Old; Dam Fed on Cottonseed Meal Regularly. 
 
^ THE GREAT 
 
 62 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 can import from America $4,000,000 worth of cottonseed 
 oil annually and make a profit on it, it seems that we 
 should in this country utilize that oil and keep the profit at 
 home. It is plain that one pound of pure odorless cotton- 
 seed oil added to three gallons of milk in the churn will 
 produce from one pound to one and one-fourth pounds of 
 butter as pure, as sweet and as delicious as the best Jersey 
 butter ever made. But, under the oleomargarine laws the 
 sale of such product is prohibited. If oleomargarine was 
 unwholesome there would be absolutely no argument in its 
 favor and its manufacture should be prohibited, even if it 
 was a great benefit to the dairymen or to the oil mills if it 
 was manufactured. But there is no question about its 
 wholesomeness and it is certainly the best substitute for 
 butter ever discovered. 
 
 A gentleman said to me some time ago that as the West- 
 ern butter makers realized that they can increase their but- 
 ter production by the use of oil costing from 5^ to 6 cents 
 per pound and sell it for 25 to 30 cents per pound they 
 would be the first to advocate a repeal of the law which 
 through their influence was enacted by Congress and which 
 practically destroyed the oleomargarine industry in this 
 country. 
 
 I have already consumed more than twenty minutes of 
 the time which I promised to talk to you, and only wish 
 to say in conclusion that I appreciate this opportunity of 
 advising with you and I am mighty glad to be with you. 
 You all look happy, rich and prosperous and I am sure that 
 much of your prosperity, wealth and happiness is due to the 
 free use you have made of cottonseed products. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 63 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 GEORGIA PEOPLE BUY COTTON OIL IN PREFERENCE TO HOGS' 
 
 LARD, 
 
 THE SUPERIORITY OF COTTON OIL OVER LARD. 
 
 They were discussing in the Piedmont lobby the big corn 
 and hog crop of the West and finally got on the relative 
 value and purity of vegetable 6ils and animal fats. One 
 Western man had said a great deal about the big corn crop 
 and the thousands of fat hogs that it would make and how 
 his firm expected to supply the cotton growers of the South 
 with lard this year. He was rather sorry for the Georgians 
 because they did not have more hogs, but glad on his own 
 account, as the South would give his firm a market for their 
 surplus product. 
 
 A cotton oil man. sitting in the group, observed that he 
 thought the South was raising its own lard this year in the 
 shape of cotton oil. The Westerner replied: "They will 
 never use it. There is too much prejudice against it right 
 here where you raise it." The oil man answered : "Preju- 
 dice ! Prejudice against a pure vegetable product ! Preju- ' 
 dice against one of the most delicious of nature's products ! J 
 Why, do you know how completely and delicately nature/ 
 has provided for the care of the oil in the cotton seed? In 
 every seed are thousands of oil cells, each containing a tiny 
 sack holding an almost infinitesimal globule of oil. These 
 little sacks are elastic, prevent evaporation and make it im- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 64 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 possible for the precious liquid to become contaminated by 
 contact with any other substance. All of these little cells 
 are then completely encased in the kernel of the seed, and 
 all safely housed and covered tightly with a hard shell im- 
 pervious to rain, hail, sunshine, disease or insects. So care- 
 fully protected by nature is the oil that it can only be re- 
 i eased by heat and pressure. When ready for market it is 
 pure, sweet, wholesome, almost snow white, and of delight- 
 ful flavor. The mills are selling it to consumers, who bring 
 their seed to the mills and carry back refined oil. 
 
 "If there is anyone in Georgia so lacking in good judg- 
 ment and good taste as to prefer animal fat of any kind to 
 cotton oil, such a citizen must live a long ways from the 
 public road, and if anyone still talks about prejudice 
 against cotton oil, he is simply making himself ridiculous. 
 
 "When Georgia grows 2,000,000 bales of cotton in a 
 single year and becomes the second largest cotton produc- 
 ing State in the South, her people would not be showing 
 the sound judgment that has made Georgia the Empire 
 State of the South if they did not consume their own prod- 
 ucts in preference to those produced elsewhere, particu- 
 larly where they are so far superior to the imported 
 article." 
 
 The argument seemed to be exhausted and the discussion 
 drifted on to crops and politics. Atlanta Constitution, 
 September 24, 1905. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 65 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 A REVIEW OF THE PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE COT- 
 TON OIL INDUSTRY. 
 
 NEGLECTED OPPORTUNITIES A SOUTHERN MONOPOLY A 
 
 GROWTH AS SENSATIONAL AS THE CALIFORNIA GOLD DIS- 
 COVERY OF '49 THE VALUE OF THE BY-PRODUCTS TO THE 
 SOUTHERN CATTLE RAISER AND DALRYMEN. 
 
 "If the United States had, tAventy or twenty-five years 
 ago, followed up the admissions of European olive oil ex- 
 perts, that they could not detect one-third cottonseed oil 
 in their best olive oil and pushed the matter to its just con- 
 clusion, viz: That cottonseed oil was as pure and whole- 
 some although in itself lacking the peculiar flavor of olive , 
 oil as the best olive oil, the United States would not to- 
 day be able to meet the foreign demand which would have 
 been created therefor." 
 
 "The fact that Germany, Denmark and the United King- 
 dom import over $12,000,000 worth of United States cot- ( 
 tonseed oil cake is evidence enough as to its worth, for they 
 are the expert cattle feeders of the world.' 7 
 
 The two paragraphs quoted above are from the Daily 
 Consular and Trade Reports of the United States Depart- 
 ment of Commerce and Labor, October 9, 1906, and no 
 other evidence is needed to prove the value of these two 
 chief products of the cottonseed industry of the South, nor 
 is further evidence needed regarding the importance of the 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 66 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 foreign trade in these two products, except to state the act- 
 ual figures as shown by the same report. 
 
 The total value of the oil exported for the year ending- 
 June 30, 1905, was $13,673,400; lard substitutes (com- 
 pounded with cottonseed oil), $4,154,200. The exports of 
 cottonseed oil cake amounted in value to f 13,073,400, and 
 of linters to f 1,433,925, making the total exports of cotton- 
 seed products, exclusive of the oil exported in oleomar- 
 garine, 132,334,925. 
 
 It may be some time before the South monopolizes cot- 
 ton manufacture, but natural conditions, followed by me- 
 chanical ingenuity and commercial activity have already 
 established a monopoly in the South in the manufacture of 
 high grade cottonseed products. 
 
 The cottonseed industry of the South is unique, because 
 it is "alone of its kind," especially when the diversified in- 
 terests concerned in it are considered. 
 
 Its history is interesting; its development as sensational 
 as the California gold discovery of '49. Its only set back 
 and the greatest financial danger it has encountered thus 
 far, has been its too rapid growth, production running 
 ahead of consumption, and crushing capacity exceeding the 
 supply of the raw material, at prices that the producers 
 could pay for seed on the market value for the oil, and this 
 danger might have been averted, as has been shown, if those 
 interested in it twenty years ago had made the proper ef- 
 forifat that time to push the sale and use of the oil in for- 
 eign countries. 
 
 So rapid was the increase in the number of crude mills in 
 a few years that refiners did not find markets for the fin- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 67 
 
 ished products, cooking oils and compounds, as fast as the 
 production of crude oil increased; consequently, the niiljls 
 were forced to depend largely on the limited number of 
 European buyers to take their surplus refined oil, and these 
 buyers knew well how to buy on congested markets. This 
 
 Cargo of Cottonseed Meal Fertilisers on Chattahoochee River. 
 
 has resulted in some years in serious loss to the entire in- 
 dustry, refiners and manufacturers of crude oil as well. 
 This condition seems to have passed, at least it has im- 
 proved, and while the profits have averaged less than the 
 average profits of other manufacturing establishments, par- 
 ticularly in recent years, more stable conditions seem to 
 have been reached, and better, broader and sounder judg- 
 ment displayed in the handling of the business. 
 
 Until about six years ago the producers of crude oil de- 
 pended largely on Eastern and Western refiners for their 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 68 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 markets. About half of the oil was then, 1900, exported 
 after being refined, out of a total estimated production of 
 1,500,000 barrels. In 1900 a large number of crude oil 
 mills were purchased by Southern- refiners, and then fol- 
 lowed tvii increased production of the finished products and 
 an increased domestic and home use of the products. In 
 1905 only about one-third of the oil was exported against 
 one-half in 1900, although the total estimated production 
 had increased to about 3,000,000 barrels, making the do- 
 mestic consumption about 2,000,000 barrels against 900,000 
 barrels in 1900, thus doubling the home demand for it. This 
 increase* in the home use of oil gave a tremendous impulse 
 to the manufacture of crude oil and in the two years fol- 
 lowing the number of mills in the South almost doubled. 
 
 The increased use of the oil by Southern manufacturers 
 of finished products strengthened both foreign and domes- 
 tic demands for it, the development running on much the 
 same lilies as the result following the increased manufac- 
 ture of cotton by Southern factories. It has been further 
 helped by the general prosperity of the country in all lines 
 of manufacture, the improvement in agricultural condi- 
 tions, and the better buying ability of the people generally. 
 If the mistakes of the past are not repeated, if production is 
 allowed to run parallel with consumption, the demand for 
 all cottonseed products will soon enhance the values and 
 the industry will enjoy the same degree of prosperity that 
 has come to all other similar enterprises. 
 
 The products of this industry compete with the olive 
 growers of Italy, Spain and France, with the producers of 
 copra of the Pacific islands, with the cocoanut, peanut and 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 69 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 sesame oil manufacturers of Europe, with the packers of 
 the world, with the butter makers of Europe, Avith_the 
 Western growers of corn and hay, with the hog raisers or 
 the same section, and, in a limited way, with the European 
 growers of low grade cotton and cotton factory waste. They 
 also compete with the manufacturers of soap of all kinds, 
 wherever located. Not only do the products of the cotton- 
 seed mills and refineries compete in foreign markets with 
 the commodities mentioned produced in those sections, but 
 they also are forced to meet the competition of American 
 manufacturers and producers of similar commodities in 
 foreign and domestic markets. It is not surprising, there-| 
 fore, that the development of this industry has been re- 
 tarded because it met with so much opposition from so 
 .many different and conflicting interests. 
 
 The Interstate Cottonseed Crushers' Association, 
 through its publicity bureau, is trying to correct the mis- 
 takes and injury done the industry twenty-five years ago, 
 by failure to take advantage of foreign markets, as ex- 
 plained in the consular reports referred to, by more fully 
 advertising these products and thus creating a greater de- 
 mand abroad and at home, which would already have ex- 
 isted if the proper course had been followed by those con- 
 trolling the industry in its early history. In this work the 
 publicity committee is receiving the cordial co-operation 
 of the Bureau of Manufacturers, Department of Commerce 
 and Labor at Washington, D. C., the assistance of the trade 
 journals and the newspapers generally throughout t 
 United States and of the members of the association. It is 
 believed that a better knowledge of the value of these prod- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 70 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 nets will not only increase the demand, but will result in 
 more remunerative prices to both refiners and crude oil 
 mills. 
 
 A recent report of the Bureau of Statistics, Department 
 
 ( I of Commerce and Labor, says : "The value of cottonseed oil 
 
 las a food product was not known in the early days of its 
 
 manufacture. In 1881 it was discovered that cottonseed oil 
 
 mixed with animal fats made an acceptable substitute for 
 
 ird. From that time the domestic demand greatly in- 
 
 creased. In 1880 about thirty per cent, of the cottonseed 
 oil manufactured in the United States was consumed at 
 home, while in 1905 it amounted to sixty per cent." 
 
 It has also been "discovered" that the oil in its natural 
 state is a satisfactory substitute for lard and other animal 
 fats. The demand for it as a cooking commodity is increas- 
 ing daily. Its purity and wholesomeness is attested by the 
 chemists, and practical experience supports the expert tes- 
 timony. 
 
 Kecently a great deal of interest has been aroused on ac- 
 count of an address delivered by Professor Connell, on the 
 value of cottonseed meal as a human food and competent 
 authorities have announced that this is entirely practicable 
 and that we may expect a large addition from this source 
 to the food products of America. 
 
 For one hundred and eighty years mills for crushing cot- 
 tonseed have been operated in Europe, but the differences 
 in the character of the products of these mills and those of 
 the South are almost as great as the differences between 
 woolen and cotton goods. 
 
 In the South the seed are worked directly from the fields ; 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 71 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 in Europe they are transported from Egypt and America, 
 reaching the mills many months after shipment. The prod- 
 ucts are necessarily inferior to those of Southern mills. 
 The manufacturing methods, too, are not the same. In 
 China, for possibly two thousand years, oil has been ex- 
 pressed from cottonseed, and is still produced by primitive 
 
 f 
 
 Exterior View of Large Cotton Oil Refinery. 
 
 processes, consequently it also is far inferior to the South- 
 ern product. 
 
 The Southern industry is, therefore, unique in that it / 
 "stands alone" in its methods of manufacture and in the 
 quality of its product. It is just as complete a monopoly 
 of its kind as the American production of Sea Island cotton. 
 The feeding and fertilizing value of the meal produced in K 
 the Southern mills is just about double that of the same 
 commodity manufactured in the English mills. The world 
 looks to America, therefore, for its high grade cottonseed 
 oil and high grade cottonseed meal. But with all these ad- 
 vantages the South does not derive the full benefit from the 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 72 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 business, because a large part of the total annual pro- 
 duction of the cake or meal goes to foreign markets, prob- 
 ably half of the linters (short fibre) is also exported. The 
 meal and hulls are needed for stock feed, in order to in- 
 crease the number of beef cattle, milk cows and hogs in 
 the South. In no other way can packing houses be so suc- 
 cessfully established and the dairy products increased in 
 this section as by the use of cottonseed meal and hulls. 
 When all of the cake or meal and all of the linters are used 
 where produced and that now seems probable in the near 
 future the full benefit of the industry will be realized by 
 the people who own it, and by those who grow the seed. 
 
 The total production of cake or meal is about sufficient 
 to feed more than 1,000,000 head of beef and dairy cattle 
 the year round, while the hulls would supply roughage for 
 250,000 cattle for one year. If 1,000,000 head of cattle were 
 fed on the meal and hulls and the deficiency is roughage 
 supplied by native grasses and hay, then the hulls and meal 
 would supply 1,000,000 cattle for the entire year. As fat- 
 tening cattle are usually kept for only about six months on 
 food of this sort before being marketed, the supply of meal 
 and hulls supplemented with native grasses and hay would 
 supply 2,000,000 head of beef cattle for that time. Such a 
 use of these products would create packing houses through- 
 out the South and add another important industry to this 
 section that would be of immense benefit to the whole 
 people. 
 
 All of the hulls are now fed in the South to beef and 
 dairy cattle, but a large part of the meal is exported or 
 used in the manufacture of commercial fertilizers. This 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 73 
 
 partial loss to the South of the most valuable feed stuff 
 produced in any country shows a lack of appreciation jind 
 of enterprise that should not exist and will not continue 
 many years, as the value of the meal for feeding purposes 
 is better known each vear. 
 
 Interior View of Large Cotton Oil Refinery. 
 
 The industry has had to combat the prejudices of its own 
 people and the opposition of every competitor in every mar- 
 ket of the world. Sometimes the national government of its 
 own country, and even the governments of its own States 
 have been arrayed against it. The manufacturers of lard 
 first opposed its chief product and were followed by the 
 butter makers of the West, while the French, German, 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 74 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 Austrian and Italian governments tried to prohibit by high 
 tariffs, the sale ol ! the oil in their own countries, but seem 
 to have succeeded only in increasing its use. In spite of 
 prejudice, opposition and imposition at home and abroad, 
 the high merits of cottonseed oil carried it through all these 
 difficulties, and to-day the demand for it is better than at 
 any time in its history; while the use of the meal and hulls 
 has about doubled in six years. 
 
 So the industry seems to have overcome all opposition 
 triumphantly and has worthily won the world's reognition 
 as one of the great manufacturing interests of the country, 
 and wears its honors becomingly. 
 
 In the further development of the industry the trend is 
 southward where the cotton grows. Here the crude oil is 
 produced, here it can be refined while it is sweet and pure, 
 fresh from the fields and the seed. With the establishment 
 of commercial exchanges in the leading Southern cities and 
 the coming of immigrant ships direct to Southern ports, 
 the trade with Europe will naturally come this way and 
 this will lead foreign dealers and brokers to look to South- 
 ern producers of finished products for their supplies. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 75 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ENGLISH AND AMERICAN COTTONSEED MILLS. 
 
 COTTONSEED MEAL IN DENMARK AND THE UNITED STATES 
 THE HIGH QUALITY OF AMERICAN COTTONSEED OIL THE 
 VALUE OF VARIOUS AM.ERICAN FEED STUFFS, INCLUDING 
 COTTONSEED MEAL AND HULLS. 
 
 In England where cottonseed mills have been in operation / 
 for one hundred and eighty years, they are known as cake 
 mills because the cake is largely used for cattle feed, and is 
 highly regarded by feeders for this purpose, large quan- 
 tities being imported in addition to that produced at home, 
 while in the South they are known as oil mills, because the 
 oil lias been regarded as the most valuable product. The 
 English cake, in feeding value, is worth only about sixty , 
 per cent, of the American cake. The oil is also inferior to 
 the American product, because the seed are crushed whole, 
 all of the hulls going into the cake or meal, and the seed 
 are brought from Egypt or America, consequently they are 
 never sAveet and fresh like the seed worked straight from 
 the cotton fields by the American mills. 
 
 Although the English products are inferior to those pro- 
 duced in the South, they sell for much higher prices be- 
 cause their value is better understood and appreciated by 
 the consumers. 
 
 Last year the sunflower crop of Eussia was almost a 
 failure. When this was realized the stock feeders in Den- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 76 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 mark, where large quantities of sunflower cake is used, en- 
 tered the American markets for cottonseed cake, which they 
 had been using in limited quantities previously. The Dan- 
 ish buyers were followed shortly by the German and Eng- 
 lish feeders, which caused a sharp advance in price, 
 amounting to something over |5 per ton. Cottonseed meal 
 landed in Denmark, including freight, insurance, brokers 
 and jobbers 7 commissions and profits, probably cost the 
 feeders $35 per ton, while the highest price it reached in the 
 South in a retail way was $28 per ton, and only a small 
 quantity sold at over $25 per ton. This export demand 
 greatly assisted the mills in realizing a better price for cot- 
 tonseed meal than had prevailed in many years. Indirectly 
 it was a great benefit to the growers of seed, because it en- 
 abled the mills to pay better prices for seed, but even at the 
 price named, the meal sold at only about seventy per cent, 
 of its actual feeding value in comparison with other feed 
 stuffs. A product so valuable for feeding purposes should 
 never be used any other way. If all of the cottonseed meal 
 produced in the South was fed to cattle, it would result in 
 making this section a cattle raising country, and would cre- 
 ate a packing industry equal to that of the West. This has 
 been demonstrated by an enterprising citizen of Atlanta, 
 Ga., who started a few years ago feeding cattle in a limited 
 way on cottonseed hulls and meal. Meeting with much suc- 
 cess he established an extensive packing house, and now 
 supplies a large part of the meat products consumed in this 
 section. While cottonseed meal is the best commercial fer- 
 tilizer ever produced, it is too valuable as a feed staff to be 
 used for other purposes. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 77 
 
 The oil is the most valuable of all of the products of the 
 American mills. Its purity and wholesoineness recommend 
 it for cooking purposes or for salads. It is more econom- 
 ical than any animal fat, and, on account of its purity, is 
 necessarily healthful. It is a vegetable product produced 
 from a seed that is protected by nature from imperfections 
 
 Interior Vieiv of Cotton Oil Hogless Lard Plant. 
 
 of any kind, and is made entirely by machinery, while the 
 seed are still fresh, sound and sweet, and is refined by the 
 most approved methods. The United States Board of Of- 
 ficial Chemists at Washington has classed it ivith olive oil 
 without 'discrimination. The high-grade deodorized cook- 
 ing oil, manufactured from fresh, sweet cottonseed, is odor- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 78 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 less, tasteless and practically colorless, and is produced 
 without the aid or use of any injurious chemicals. One 
 pound of oil. of this kind is equal to one and one-third 
 pound of hog's lard for cooking purposes. 
 
 Comparative statement of values of the various feeds ex- 
 pressed in calories : 
 
 Feed 
 value, calo- 
 Carbohy- ries per 
 
 Protein. 
 
 Fiber. 
 
 drates. 
 
 Fat. 
 
 pound. 
 
 Cottonseed meal. . . 
 
 38.6 
 
 6.0 
 
 34.4 
 
 8.0 
 
 180*i 
 
 Feed meal 
 
 25.0 
 
 20.0 
 
 36.0 
 
 6.0 
 
 1760 
 
 Brewers' grain .... 
 
 19.9 
 
 11.0 
 
 51.7 
 
 5.0 
 
 1759 
 
 Corn 
 
 10.5 
 
 2.1 
 
 69.6 
 
 5.4 
 
 1756 
 
 Cow peas 
 
 16.6 
 
 20.1 
 
 42.2 
 
 2.2 
 
 1746 
 
 Oats 
 
 11.8 
 
 9.5 
 
 59.7 
 
 5.0 
 
 1717 
 
 Linseed meal 
 
 32.2 
 
 9.2 
 
 38.4 
 
 3.0 
 
 1635 
 
 Wheat straw 
 
 3.4 
 
 38.1 
 
 43.4 
 
 1.3 
 
 1734 
 
 Oat straw 
 
 4.0 
 
 37.0 
 
 42.4 
 
 2.3 
 
 1648 
 
 Red top hav 
 
 7.9 
 
 28.6 
 
 47.5 
 
 1.9 
 
 1612 
 
 
 Cottonseed hulls . . . 
 
 2.5 
 
 46.0 
 
 36.0 
 
 1.0 
 
 1644 
 
 Timothv hav 
 
 5.9 
 
 29.0 
 
 45.0 
 
 2.5 
 
 1591 
 
 Red clover 
 
 12.3 
 
 24.8 
 
 38.1 
 
 3.3 
 
 1537 
 
 Corn fodder. . 
 
 4.5 
 
 14.3 
 
 34.7 
 
 1.6 
 
 1062 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 79 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 CHAPTEE VII. 
 
 How TO INCREASE THE VALUE OF COTTONSEED PRODUCTS. 
 
 ('Address before the Inter-State Cottonseed Crushers' As- 
 sociation annual meeting at New Orleans, La., 
 May 16, 1905.) 
 
 SOME RESULTS ACCOMPLISHED BY PUBLICITY. 
 
 A gentleman of long experience in the oil mill business 
 said to me recently, that whenever the mills have an unfav- 
 orable season they go around looking for a Moses, but at 
 the same time they are always ready to make suggestions 
 for the consideration of the Moses in case he should be 
 found. 
 
 In this spirit several interesting suggestions were made 
 during the recent crushing season, looking to improving 
 conditions. 
 
 One suggestion is that the mills shall establish co-opera- 
 tive refineries and refine and store oil until the market is 
 satisfactory to the producer, and another plan proposed is 
 that the crude mills shall stop crushing seed, and hold the 
 oil on hand until the production only equals the demand. 
 
 Both of these suggestions seem to have been based on the 
 idea of over production. The remedy offered for this con- 
 dition is that less oil should be produced. 
 
 This idea seems defective, first because oil was the only 
 product considered, and second because storing a product, 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 SO COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 waiting for a demand might result in serious loss, while the 
 closing down of the crude mills without making proper ef- 
 fort to better these conditions otherwise, might impair the 
 value of the investment. 
 
 Entertaining the hope that a Moses will appear, if 
 needed, I submit the suggestion that it is better to increase 
 consumption than to curtail production, and to justify this 
 plan the home demand for our product must be increased. 
 , Our industry is closer than any other to the farmer who 
 \ sells us his seed. In a measure, we work on toll for him 
 jusi as the corn mill does. He is not now our largest cus- 
 tomer, but he should be. The farmers of the South need all 
 of our products and we need their surplus seed. Whenever 
 we can pay good prices for seed, we realize proportionate 
 prices for our by-products. An unfavorable feature of the 
 business is that we do not sell enough of these products to 
 the parties w r ho sell us their seed. They are our best cus- 
 tomers for what they buy, and we should show them it is 
 to their interest to buy more largely. 
 
 Twelve years ago at Atlanta we sold our meal to fertilizer 
 companies or exported it. At the same time we used hulls 
 for fuel. At this time about three-fourths of our meal is 
 sold to feeders and dairymen, and we are unable to supply 
 the demand for hulls from local production. The demand 
 / has been created by hard work among the farmers and 
 dairymen. If similar efforts were made in other parts of 
 Georgia, and the South, Ave should have very little surplus 
 meal and hulls, and if any cake or meal was exported, it 
 would bring satisfactory prices. 
 
 Our agricultural experiment stations should be induced 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 81 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 to take greater interest in oil mill products. Besides mak- 
 ing practical experiments, and advertising results, thay 
 should employ lecturers to address the farmers' institutes 
 on the value and use of meal and hulls, and thus keep them 
 constantly before the people. If the mills would follow up 
 this work with exchanges of meal and hulls for seed, they 
 would greatly enlarge their home market. 
 
 Marketing oil is not so easy a proposition as marketing 
 the by-products, but the home use of it can be increased. 
 
 Our friend, Mr. Jo Allison, and our secretary,,Mr. Kobt. 
 Gibson, have shown that a pound of high grade cooking oil, 
 added to three gallons of milk in the churn, will add 
 
 than one pound of fine butter to the yield. This field is un- 
 limited. Mr. Allison says that one million gallons of milk 
 are churned every day in Texas. If to every three gallons 
 of milk, one pound of oil was added, we would have a mar- 
 ket in Texas alone for our surplus oil. 
 
 At one refinery in Mississippi about 1,000 barrels of oil 
 are sold annually to local consumers. If each of the crude 
 mills in the South sold one-half as much, they would take 
 from the market the biggest surplus the trade has ever 
 known. In Georgia we have recently established a retail 
 trade for the cooking oil at many of the crude mills, and 
 although this has been in operation only a few weeks, the 
 result is most encouraging. 
 
 While much of what is here outlined may be accom- 
 plished by individual effort, it can be greatly expedited by 
 proper organization. Ever}^ state in the South should have 
 State Crushers' Associations. These organizations should j 
 co-operate with the manufacturers of oleomargarine, who 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 82 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 it is understood will work for a repeal of the oleomargarine 
 law. These associations should assist in every effort to pro- 
 mote friendly foreign relations in our interest, and prevent 
 unfriendly domestic legislation, and should devise means 
 tor the proper advertising of our products among our own 
 people. 
 
 State associations are necessary to make more effective 
 the rules governing the sales of products adopted from time 
 to time by the Inter- State Crushers' Association and by the 
 commercial organizations interested in our trade. Many 
 of the disagreements growing out of transactions bet ween 
 the mills are due to a misunderstanding of the terms of the 
 trade and the rules which were made. 
 
 Properly managed, the great industry is of immense ben- 
 efit to the South. It should be encouraged in every legiti- 
 mate way. 
 
 Let us get together and forget the little troubles we have 
 and take a bigger and broader view of the whole situation, 
 and turning our eyes to the future, work on the principle 
 of the "Georgia Gospel" as expounded by that sunny 
 hearted Georgia poet Frank Stanton : 
 
 "No use in grievin 7 
 
 'Bout the milk you spill ; 
 Keep on believin' 
 
 That the cow'll stand still." 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 83 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT COTTONSEED OIL. 
 
 HOW IT MASQUERADED UNDER DIFFERENT NAMES IN DIFFERENT 
 COUNTRIES HOW IT WAS MIXED AND BLENDED WITH 
 OTHER AND INFERIOR PRODUCTS HOW IT WAS FINALLY 
 PUT ON THE MARKET UNDER ITS OWN NAME AND TRI- 
 UMPHANTLY WON ON ITS HIGH MERITS. 
 
 The manufacture of cottonseed oil is a peculiar Industry 
 and while all other manufacturers have enjoyed some kind 
 of protection from the government, this has lived in spite 
 of governmental opposition and without assistance from 
 the government. For many years during the growth of this 
 infant industry it was satisfied to live under many nom de 
 plumes. As the sweet New England songster, the bobolink, 
 delighted the musical artists of New England and after- 
 wards pleased the palates of the epicures of Charleston, as 
 the rice bird, so cotton oil was willing to become olive 
 oil in Spain, peanut oil in France, cocoanut oil in the Phil- 
 ippines, sesame oil in Africa, lard oil in Chicago, corn oil i 
 in Cincinnati, hog lard oil all over the world, butter in the / 
 Jersey Islands, and still remain the cottonseed oil of the 
 South. 
 
 Finally its aristocratic brethren, the olive growers of 
 Europe, appealed to their respective governments for pro- 
 tection against this invader, which had become more popu- 
 lar than themselves in their own countries. They succeeded 
 in having almost prohibitive duties levied upon it when ex- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 84 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 ported. This was pretty hard, but when the government of 
 the United States prohibited the manufacture of oleomar- 
 arine, cotton oil found itself without friends in any of the 
 governments of the world and opposed by its own govern- 
 ment. It concluded that it was time to throw off all dis- 
 guises and stand in its own right and on its OAVU merits be- 
 fore the world. It was then converted into cottolene and 
 advertised as a cotton oil product and under this name its 
 popularity increased. In Georgia, at Savannah, it enters 
 into the composition of Snowdrift, one of the purest and 
 best of compounds, and into Flakewhite at Macon, and it 
 has proven to all people that these products are Avholesome 
 and free from diseases common among swine. It now 
 spurns any connection with hog fat. It no longer mas- 
 querades under the name of any foreign oil. In Savannah 
 it is Wesson Snowdrift oil, good for cooking and salads, 
 and competes with the best olive oil and butter. 
 
 So popular has cottonseed oil become for edible and cul- 
 inary purposes that the handful of olive growers in Cali- 
 fornia once declared that the palates of the people had 
 become so accustomed to the flavor of cotton oil, that they 
 had come to regard the pure olive oil as adulterated. 
 
 Some of our own Southern State legislatures passed 
 laws against the use of cotton oil in the manufacture of 
 butter substitutes, for the protection of the few dairymen 
 who make Jersey butter. Since the manufacture of oleo- 
 margarine was practically prohibited by national legisla- 
 tion, many of the best hotels of the country have been 
 flooded with a renovated rancid butter, disgusting to the 
 palate and not wholesome to the stomach. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 A GENERAL REVIEW OF THE COTTON OIL INDUSTRY. 
 
 (Annual address before the Inter-State Cottonseed Crush- 
 ers' Association, Louisville, Ky., May 19, 1908.) 
 
 THE WORK OF THE INTER-STATE COTTONSEED CRUSHERS' ASSO- 
 CIATION FOR THE YEAR 1908 THE CONDITIONS AFFECTING 
 THE INDUSTRY ITS IMMENSE POSSIBILITIES THE CO-OP- 
 ERATION OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT IN PROMOTING 
 ITS INTERESTS THE FOREIGN TRADE OLEOMARGARINE 
 GRADING COTTONSEED- PUBLICITY BUREAU EXHIBITS OF 
 COTTONSEED PRODUCTS. 
 
 When you met at Jamestown a year ago you had just 
 closed a fairly successful operating season. You were able 
 to submit balance sheets to your stockholders showing reas- 
 onable profits on their investments. If the result this year 
 is not as satisfactory as last it is due to causes largely be- 
 yond your control. You can at least congratulate your- 
 selves upon having ended a phenomenal season without se- 
 rious loss, following financial conditions that closed banks, 
 forced railroads into receiverships, and overwhelmed many 
 other industries, while no actual failure of cotton oil mills 
 has been reported and the future of your business is exceed- 
 ingly promising. 
 
 The acreage in cotton this year, with good crop condi- 
 tions, insures you the raw material needed, and the in- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 creased demand for your products is the best guarantee of 
 future sales. 
 
 THE FUTURE DEMAND FOR COTTON OIL. 
 
 There is little probability of an increased production of 
 olive or other vegetable oils in Europe. The increasing- 
 population of the world provides for any probable increase 
 in the production of cotton oil, and the Eastern markets 
 opened to this product last year are among consumers who 
 do not use animal fats. As the seasons go by the merits of 
 this oil become better known, and it must necessarily sup- 
 ply the shortage in the world's requirements. 
 
 If you think that I am too sanguine regarding the future 
 demand for your oil I refer you to the flood of reports 
 coming from United States consuls regarding conditions 
 in foreign markets. I quote only a few : 
 
 Consul James E. Dunning, Milan, Italy. "Short crops 
 are bound to occur in Italy every few years, while the pros- 
 pects for the general normal trade in cottonseed oil is prom- 
 ising in the extreme. The prospect for future development 
 of the trade is excellent. Cotton oil has become nearly 
 indispensable to the Italian market." 
 
 Consul Paul Nash, Venice, Italy. "Even under the best 
 conditions Italy cannot produce edible oil enough for home 
 consumption, plus the demand for olive oil abroad." 
 
 Consul-General Frank 11. Mason, Paris, France. "The 
 use of cottonseed oil for cooking purposes is increasing 
 rapidly not only in France, but in Italy and other Euro- 
 pean countries." 
 
 Consul-General Skinner, Marseilles, France. "The 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 worldwide need of oils arid greases goes on increasing, 
 while the raw material areas are known, limited and sub- 
 ject to no systematic effort toward eulargement." 
 
 Consul-General Ekehl, Germany. "American cottonseed 
 oil is used extensively here." 
 
 Consul William Harrison, Bradley, England. "There i>s 
 a large and increasing use of cottonseed oil here." 
 
 Consul-General Loren Listoe, Netherlands. "Cotton- 
 seed oil is imported and used in the Netherlands in great 
 quantities." 
 
 Consul Frank B. Hill, Holland. "Imports (of cotton 
 oil) are increasing every year and are almost exclusively 
 from the United States." 
 
 Consul George M. Ilotschick, Austria. "Cottonseed oil 
 hundreds of thousands of barrels of which are consumed 
 cannot be produced either in Austria or in all Europe 
 and is not in any way to be replaced." 
 
 Consul Felix S. S. Johnson, Switzerland. "Each year 
 shows a marked increase in cottonseed oil importations." 
 
 Consul Jesse B. Jackson, Syria. "The importation of 
 the products of cottonseed oil is increasing very rapidly." 
 
 Consul-General G. E. Anderson, Rio de Janeiro. "As 
 between olive oil and cottonseed oil, conditions generally, 
 including tariff rates, are decidedly in favor of the cotton- 
 seed product." 
 
 No further evidence is needed to prove that the high | 
 quality of your oil and the demand for it have been firmly 
 established in the markets of the world, and especially in 
 the olive-growing regions. The puny attempts of a few olive< 
 Growers in California to discredit cottonseed oil may be 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 88 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 compared with a Florida zephyr trying to stop a Texas 
 tornado. 
 
 Not only has cottonseed oil proven its superior quality, 
 taking its place alongside the best grades of olive oil, but 
 your chief by-product, cottonseed meal, is finding new uses 
 in foreign and domestic markets, which means a demand 
 at fair prices for any production that may reasonably be 
 expected. 
 
 Conservatism in your business and persistent advertising 
 of your products will secure you fair, just and reasonable 
 returns on your labor and investment for the coming 
 season. 
 
 THE OBJECT OP THE ASSOCIATION. 
 
 In some sections of the South conditions other than 
 financial have made the business unsatisfactory, but an 
 improvement may be expected even in this respect in the 
 near future. There are ho irreconcilable differences be- 
 tween the refining and the crude interests ; none should be 
 allowed to exist and none possible do exist between those 
 who are members of this association. 
 
 In discussing the sentiments and purposes of the United 
 States toward the South American republics Secretary 
 Koot used words that will define the objects and purposes 
 of this association. He said: "We desire to increase our 
 prosperity ; to extend our trade ; to grow in wealth, in wis- 
 dom and in spirit; but our conception of the true way to 
 accomplish this is not to pull down others that we may 
 profit by their ruin, but to help all friends to a common 
 prosperity that we may become greater and stronger to- 
 gether." 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 89 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 Membership in the association will, as Secretary Root 
 again says regarding trade, -establish kindly and agreenWe 
 personal relations which are so potent in leading to busi- 
 ness relations." 
 
 Those interests you represent here, whether your own 
 or others, are best served by contributing to the success of 
 this association that has already accomplished so much 
 good for the industry and, by reason of what it has already 
 accomplished, is in position to increase these benefits many 
 times over in the future. 
 
 You have left your homes and come to this meeting for 
 a serious business purpose ; you are earnest business men ; 
 you have come to serve the highest and best interests of the 
 industry you represent, and you Avill do this with fidelity 
 and loyalty. The pleasure and entertainment that our 
 Louisville friends have prepared for us will be thoroughly 
 enjoyed and appreciated and A\i 11 contribute, in a large 
 measure, to the success of the work you have come to do. 
 Like the dressing to the salad, it will make better the 
 serious part of the program. 
 
 COTTONSEED PRODUCTS IN FOREIGN MARKETS. 
 
 As a rule the values of all commodities are governed by i 
 the markets where the surplus is sold. Eecognizing this 
 fact, your officers have endeavored to maintain those for- 
 eign markets already secured for your products, and to in-/ 
 crease the demand in those countries where about one-third ' 
 of your products are now sold, and to create new ones, real- 
 izing that conditions existing there reflect and react upon 
 your home markets. 
 
 Two years ago, under President Bailey's administration, 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 90 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 the State Department at Washington, co-operating with 
 the Department of Commerce and Labor, was induced to 
 call for reports from the United State consuls in all parts 
 of the world showing stocks of cottonseed products and 
 stocks of oil-bearing seeds and commodities competing 
 with cottonseed products in the various countries to which 
 these consuls were accredited. In addition to this the con- 
 suls were requested to report on the consumption and uses 
 of the products and the possibility of further increasing 
 the sales. 
 
 These reports have been made, and published, daily, as 
 received by the Department of Commerce and Labor, and 
 were also published as a separate pamphlet last year and 
 distributed at Jamestown. A second edition, including 
 the first pamphlet and all consular reports received since 
 its publication, was issued this year by the department 
 under special authority and by special appropriation of 
 Congress. These publications have been interesting and 
 exceedingly valuable to every one engaged in the industry. 
 They have not only shown what has been done, and what is 
 being done, but what may be done to further increase our 
 trade, and how to increase it. These reports have been 
 mailed by the Department of Commerce and Labor to every 
 member of our association, and they have contained abun- 
 dant practical information. The manufacturers individ- 
 ually, and the association collectively, should take advan- 
 tage of the opportunities thus presented. 
 
 In addition to the consular reports called for, Hon. Oscar 
 S. Straus, Secretary of the Department of Commerce and 
 Labor, last year appointed Mr. J. L. Benton as a special 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 91 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 foreign agent to travel, in foreign countries and investigate 
 conditions affecting our industry and to exploit our prod- 
 ucts. Mr. Benton discharged these duties with admirable 
 fidelity and unusual ability, but owing to ill health was 
 compelled to resign the position. Subsequently, on the 
 nomination of our association held in New Orleans in Sep- 
 tember, 1907, Mr. A. G. Perkins was appointed to succeed 
 Mr. Benton, and he has already submitted some very val- 
 uable reports, and as he acquires experience and a fuller 
 knowledge of the conditions in the countries visited he will 
 be of even greater service to the industry. 
 
 The members of this association should co-operate fully 
 with the Department of Commerce and Labor and the 
 Bureau of Manufactures and sustain Mr. Perkins in his 
 work by every means in their power, but especially should 
 they encourage him by letters of commendation and by 
 suggestions that will help him to produce practical and 
 satisfactory results. 
 
 The association is greatly indebted to Hon. Oscar S. 
 Straus, Secretary of the Department of Commerce and 
 Labor, and to Hon. John M. Carson, chief of the Bureau of 
 Manufactures in that department, for the great interest 
 they have shown in our industry and for the practical 
 services they have rendered, and suitable resolutions to 
 that effect should be adopted at this meeting. 
 
 With the work now being done to advance and maintain! 
 o v ir foreign trade by the government, by its consuls an< 
 special agents, and with the splendid advertising by oui 
 publicity bureau and by the State bureaus, we can expeci 
 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 92 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 within a reasonable time a considerably increased demand 
 for all of onr products. 
 
 Hon. John M. Carson, of the Bureau of Manufactures, 
 Department of Commerce and Labor, has furnished me 
 statements of the total exports of cottonseed products for 
 the jears ending March 1907 and 1908, as follows: 
 Domestic Exports of Cottonseed Products from the United 
 States During the Twelve Months Ending March 
 31, 1907 and IMS, Respectively. 
 
 EXPORTS OP COTTONSEED PRODUCTS, YEARS 1907-1908. 
 
 -1907 
 
 Pounds. Value. 
 
 Cottonseed oil, gallons 41,350,396 $15,724,580 
 
 Cottonseed oil cake and meal . . .1,196,319,442 15,403,858 
 
 Lard compounds and substitutes 78,533,955 5,703,672 
 
 Total 136,832,110 
 
 r- -1908 -^ 
 
 Pounds. Value. 
 
 Cottonseed oil, gallons 39,742,710 $17,619,241 
 
 Cottonseed oil cake and meal . . . 1,060,291,437 13,367,748 
 Lai-d compounds and substitutes 75,228,754 6,147,713 
 
 Totals $37,134,702 
 
 This shows total value of exports last year $36,832,110, 
 against $37,134,702 this year, exclusive of linters. 
 
 Cousul-General Hugh Pitcairn, of Hamburg, reported on 
 December 23, 1907, that "owing to the scarcity and high 
 value of cottonseed oil, churners resorted to experiments 
 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 93 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 which greatly hurt butterine consumption, increasing the 
 popularity of another product, viz., cocoanut butter, which 
 in many sections of the country has almost entirely re- 
 placed butterine so far as the lard requirements of bakers 
 and confectioners are concerned." 
 
 It is probably true that the high prices of cottonseed oil 
 in European markets, together with the financial stringency 
 of the times, is one of the chief causes of the slight decline 
 in the total amount exported. It is also doubtless true 
 that the domestic cousuniYjtion of oil has greatly increased 
 the demand for the pure oil and compounds made from it, 
 such as lard substitutes and oleomargarine, which reduced 
 the quantity available for export. 
 
 COMPLAINTS BY IMPORTERS. 
 
 Iii his able address to the association at Jamestown last 
 year Major John M. Carson, chief of the Bureau of Man- 
 ufactures, Department of Commerce and Labor, said: 
 '''The principles that underlie successful trade are funda- 
 mental, and the law that directs it, although unwritten, is 
 universal. Strict integrity is just as essential in the 
 Orient as in the Occident." 
 
 This sentiment is fully indorsed by this association, and 
 in order that our trade may not suffer by reason of any 
 departure from it we should carefully and thoroughly in- 
 vestigate any complaints coming from any customer, for- 
 eign or domestic, against any member of this association. 
 The high reputation for personal and business integrity 
 enjoyed by the members of this association must be main- 
 tained. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 94 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 Consul Robert J. Thompson, in a report to the govern- 
 ment from Hanover, Germany, says : "The moral status of 
 the cottonseed meal and oil trade does not seem to be in 
 a condition satisfactory to the German importer. There is 
 a general complaint against the irresponsibility of the 
 brokers of certain of the Southern cities. Charges of bad 
 faith and failure to fill contracts are freely made and claims 
 of inability to collect judgments against the American ex- 
 porter granted under contract by the arbitration board of 
 the Hamburg Association of Feed Merchants are cited by 
 old and established dealers. If this be true the remedy 
 that would at once suggest itself would be the establish- 
 ment of a penalty clause in the by-laws of the Cottonseed 
 Crushers' Association involving the forfeiture of member- 
 ship of mills or brokers shown to have violated articles of 
 agreement or contracts with foreign purchasers, and par- 
 ticularly so with the foreign purchaser, because of his fear 
 of expense and uncertainty in instituting legal proceedings 
 to recover losses in a foreign state and his lack of facilities 
 for the collection of debts or judgments. The maintenance 
 of confidence in foreign trade is one of the greatest essen- 
 1 tiaLs and if the clean and honorable development of a great 
 and growing industry can be furthered by the excision and 
 sacrifice of harmful elements organized provision should be 
 thus made by the cottonseed interests to protect and pro- 
 mote the trade." 
 
 We do not know that there is any just cause for the com- 
 plaints reported by Consul Thompson, but they should be 
 investigated either by the committee on appeals and griev- 
 ances or a special committee appointed for that purpose, 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 95 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 and the characters of the parties against whom the, com- 
 plaints or charges are made vindicated, or the facts estab- 
 lished and the penalty enforced. We cannot permit an 
 indictment like that made by the German importers to pass 
 without notice. 
 
 I have requested Special Agent Perkins to urge all 
 reputable foreign dealers in our products to become mem- 
 bers of this association, in order that any grievances they 
 may have may be brought before this body for correction, 
 and I am glad to say that several have already sent in their 
 applications for membership, and it is probable that others 
 will do likewise at an early date. 
 
 THE HANDLING OF COTTONSEED PRODUCTS BY OCEAN STEAM- 
 SHIP LINES AND IN FOREIGN PORTS. 
 
 You are familiar Avith the various reports that have been 
 made by the special foreign agents on the handling of cot- 
 tonseed products by ocean steamship lines and in foreign 
 ports. The report of Special Agent J. L. Benton covering 
 this subject, published by the Department of Commerce and 
 Labor Bureau of Manufactures, impressed the executive 
 committee with the necessity for prompt and vigorous 
 action. 
 
 The president, Avith the authority of the executive com- 
 mittee, called a special meeting of the association to con- 
 sider the matter, and this was held in New Orleans, Sep- 
 tember 23, 1907. Representatives of ocean steamship lines 
 were present and the subject fully and exhaustively dis- 
 cussed between them and our members. The result of the 
 meeting Avas the appointment of committees from this asso- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 96 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 elation to confer with the representatives of the ocean 
 steamship lines at New Orleans, Galveston and other ports, 
 with a view to bringing about improvements in the ship- 
 ment of cottonseed products by ocean lines, and in the 
 discharge of these products by the ships in foreign ports. 
 
 The reports of these various committees will be submitted 
 to you at this meeting for your consideration. It appears 
 therefrom that the mills are to blame in part for the bad 
 conditions existing, in that they do not put up their 
 products in proper packages. It will also appear, however, 
 that the steamship lines do not exercise the care in the 
 handling of these products, both in the loading and unload- 
 ing, that their value and the freight paid justifies, and from 
 a recent report of the special agent of the government, Mr. 
 Albert G. Perkins, it is evident that conditions on the other 
 side have not improved, and that the handling of cottonseed 
 meal, especially, continues to be very badly done, to the 
 great injury and damage of the product. This report of 
 Mr. Perkins has doubtless been read by every member of 
 this association. 
 
 Possibly those mills which do not themselves export oil 
 or meal, do not fully realize their own interest in the ques- 
 tion. Our domestic market depends in a large measure 
 on the foreign markets, and, therefore, every mill manu- 
 facturing oil or meal is interested in keeping the foreign 
 markets in the best possible condition. To do this the 
 association must put its powerful influence behind this 
 movement and every member must feel a personal interest 
 in the result. The government agents have shown us one 
 of the causes of the heavy losses in our business. The 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 97 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 duty and the responsibility to correct this condition is on 
 us. 
 
 1 advise that standing committees be created at each of 
 the ports where cottonseed products are exported in suffi- 
 cient quantity to justify it; that these committees continue 
 to press the matter on the transportation companies, and 
 that they co-operate with *the special government agents 
 abroad and with the mills at home to the end that the pres- 
 ent wasteful methods may be abolished. 
 
 Direct trade with Europe has always been the dream of 
 the South. The great industry we represent will contribute 
 much toward the realization of that dream if its interests 
 are fairly and justly treated. 
 
 IMPROVED CONDITIONS IN FOREIGN MARKETS. 
 
 Cottonseed oil has found a ready market in all European 
 countries. Naturally, it was first introduced into those 
 countries where the people were accustomed to the use of 
 vegetable oils. Having been considered alongside of olive 
 and all other vegetable oils, its usage became general. In 
 fact, its adoption was so universal that the producers of 
 other oils, disturbed over its popularity, succeeded in 
 having some of their governments enact tariff laws to pre- 
 vent cotton oil competition. But the fact is being gen- 
 erally recognized that the producers of other oils cannot 
 supply the demand, and a more conservative feeling in 
 regard to the tariff now prevails. 
 
 Spain and Austria alone now have tariffs that are prac- 
 tically prohibitive, and a modification of these tariffs may 
 be expected. This is especially true of the Austrian laws. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 9 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 Owing to the great development of the oleomargarine in- 
 dustry, efforts have been made, and are now being made, 
 by the State Department at Washington to bring about 
 a reduction of the Austrian tariff, arid this is also being 
 urged by the Austrian manufacturers of lard and butter 
 substitutes, who recognize that their trade by the imposi- 
 tion of the high tariffs has been injured. The Austrian 
 Economical Society has also taken up the matter as shown 
 in a recent report of United States Consul McFarland: 
 "Meetings are being held and pressure being brought to 
 bear upon the government to secure a reduction of the 
 present rates." 
 
 During the year our government succeeded, through the 
 work of the American Embassy at Constantinople, in re- 
 moving all restrictions on the sale of cottonseed oil in the 
 Ottoman Empire, and sales were almost immediately made, 
 the contracts for forward oil amounting, according to the 
 report of Cousul-General Ozmun, to one thousand barrels 
 monthly. The consul adds that "this opens up an inviting 
 field to American producers." 
 
 In January Hon. Elihu Hoot, Secretary of the Depart- 
 ment of State at Washington, completed an agreement with 
 the French ambassador to America by which the minimum 
 duty on cottonseed oil was retained by France. This was 
 a distinct victory for our industry, as the maximum rate 
 had been threatened. 
 
 In other European countries the tariffs are not burden- 
 some, and are not likely to affect our exports. 
 
 In South America all the conditions favor cotton oil, at 
 least in such countries where we are likely to do business. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 99 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 Consul-General Anderson says of these markets that "the 
 market is growing rapidly and promises much." "As~be- 
 tween olive oil and cottonseed oil," he says, "conditions 
 generally, including tariff rates, are decidedly in favor of 
 cottonseed oil." 
 
 So far, therefore, as the present foreign tariffs are con- 
 cerned, conditions are favorable to our product, except in 
 Spain and Austria, and the latter will no doubt soon find it 
 necessary to modify her laws. 
 
 RECIPROCITY. 
 
 In January last, Mr. Alvin H. Sanders, chairman of the 
 American Eeciprocal Tariff League, advised us that a 
 meeting would be held in Washington on February 3, repre- 
 senting the National Manufacturers 7 Association, the Na- 
 tional Grange, Chicago Board of Trade and other com- 
 mercial organizations, and extended an invitation to our 
 association to send a representative. This invitation was 
 submitted to the members of the executive committee, who 
 favored its acceptance, and Mr. T. S. Young, of New York, 
 was appointed a delegate. He will submit his report to 
 this meeting. 
 
 In this connection and bearing on this subject, I wish to 
 call your attention to the foreign tariffs on cottonseed oil 
 and to the American duties on oils of various kinds under 
 the United States tariff laws. Without going too much 
 into details it is sufficient to state that many of the coun- 
 tries of Europe levy tariffs against cottonseed oil, while we 
 levy similar tariffs on other vegetable oils imported into 
 this country. The American tariff on olive oil not spe- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 100 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 cially provided for is 40 cents per gallon, and on olive oil in 
 bottles, jars, etc., is 50 cents per gallon. Practically all of 
 the other vegetable oils are taxed by our government to 
 some extent, while our product suffers similarly in some 
 other countries. 
 
 In advising me of the agreement between the United 
 States and France by which the minimum duties on cotton- 
 seed oil were retained in France, Secretary Boot says : "I 
 take this occasion to call your attention to the importance 
 to American trade of our having a maximum and minimum 
 tariff so that we can make it an object for other countries 
 to give us their lowest rates. Under our present single 
 tariff system we are obliged, practically, to trade with other 
 countries alike, no matter how they trade with us." 
 
 You are familiar, of course, with the recent message of 
 President Roosevelt urging tariff revision. This matter 
 has also been vigorously pushed by the National Associa- 
 tion of Manufacturers and our co-operation requested. I 
 will present. to the meeting some recent communications 
 from this association on the subject for your consideration. 
 
 In view of the large trade that our industry enjoys with 
 foreign countries, this matter should have most serious 
 consideration, and 1 think should be handled by our legis- 
 lative committee between the sessions of our association. 
 
 OUR FOREIGN TRADE AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. 
 
 King Edward of England is called the great commercial 
 drummer of Europe. His principal rival in this field is 
 Emperor William of Germany. While the heads of these 
 powerful governments are vigorously pushing the commer- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 101 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 cial interests of their respective countries it is exceedingly 
 fortunate for us that our government has among its hig4i 
 officials men capable of competing with them for the 
 world's trade. 
 
 In his trip through South America Secretary of State 
 Root justly earned for himself the honored title of the great 
 commercial drummer of America. His public speeches on 
 that trip should be read by every American manufacturer 
 and exporter. 
 
 The Secretary of the Department of Commerce and 
 Labor, Hon. Oscar S. Straus, is pre-eminently a business 
 man and fully understands the importance of encouraging 
 and advancing American commercial interests. In the 
 organization of the National Council of Commerce and in 
 the investigations which he has caused to be made in 
 foreign markets of conditions affecting American products 
 lie has shown a realization of trade conditions that demon- 
 strates his perfect fitness for the great business position 
 which he holds. 
 
 If American manufacturers will follow up the way 
 pointed out by Secretaries Root and Straus, they will find 
 markets for their products at prices sufficiently remunera- 
 tive to take their surplus and will aid greatly in the 
 removal of all signs of industrial depression or financial 
 stringency. We are deeply interested in all that the heads 
 of these two departments are doing to promote our foreign 
 trade. If we will take advantage of the vast amount of 
 information they have published on this subject we will 
 realize increased profits and a more satisfactory business. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 IQ2 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN TRADE. 
 
 The vast amount of information collected by the Depart- 
 ment of Commerce and Labor through its consular reports, 
 and through the reports of its special agents regarding 
 foreign commerce dealing with cottonseed products should 
 be properly utilized in order that we may get the full 
 benefit of it at the time it is of the greatest value. 
 
 I therefore recommend that a committee on foreign trade 
 in cottonseed products be created. The duty of this com- 
 mittee should be to keep in close touch with the foreign 
 trade and market conditions through the Department of 
 Commerce and 'Labor and the special foreign agents and 
 consuls of the United States, and should keep the members 
 of the association informed through the bulletins of the 
 publicity bureau, and more promptly by other means when 
 they think advisable, and confidentially to the members 
 only if they think this best. The committee could handle 
 all inquiries from foreign dealers and could often put a 
 prospective purchaser in touch with a manufacturer and 
 thus increase the demand for the products. 
 
 The committee would also, in connection with the legis- 
 lative committee, keep thoroughly posted regarding the 
 tariff laws of ail countries affecting cottonseed products. 
 
 The committee, co-operating with the port committees, 
 would further keep advised of the conditions affecting 
 transportation of cottonseed products to foreign markets, 
 the terms offered by ocean lines and show, so far as con- 
 sistent advantages of shipments through American ports 
 offering the greatest inducement. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 103 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 It is a waste of energy and of our resources to continue 
 to allow our products to be handled as ballast, with the 
 consequent loss, while we pay high ocean rates on it. 
 
 THE BELGIAN CONSUL-GENERAL. 
 
 During the year the Belgian consul-general, Hon. Paul 
 Hagemans, made a trip through the South. While in that 
 section he devoted considerable time to the study of cotton- 
 seed products. Belgium does a very large business in these 
 products with the United States, and it is hoped that the 
 res Lilt of Hon. Paul Hagemans 7 visit will be to largely in- 
 crease this business. 
 
 INDUSTRIAL EXPOSITIONS. 
 
 Expositions of both general and special character are 
 held in some of the European countries almost every year, 
 and it would be of great benefit to our industry to have 
 complete exhibits of cottonseed products at many of them. 
 
 In his annual report for 1907, Hon. John M. Carson, 
 chief of the Bureau of Manufactures, Department of Com- 
 merce and Labor, calls attention to these expositions and 
 advises that the national government should accept invita- 
 tions frequently extended to our country by foreign coun- 
 tries to participate in them, and encourage industrial or- 
 ganizations to make exhibits of their products under the 
 patronage and protection of the national government. He 
 further suggests that the various State governments might 
 make special appropriations to assist industrial enterprises 
 in making such displays of the products of their States. 
 
 I would recommend that our publicity committee be 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 104 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 requested and authorized to act with our executive com- 
 mittee in giving special attention to this matter, and be 
 directed to co-operate with Hon. John M. Carson in arrang- 
 ing for participation in such expositions wherever prac- 
 ticable, and when such work promises adequate returns 
 that other organizations be requested to join with us, and 
 that the various State legislatures be petitioned to make 
 sufficient appropriations to cover the necessary expenses. 
 It can be justly urged that any benefit derived by our in- 
 dustry from such an expenditure of public money would 
 likewise be of great and permanent value to other interests, 
 and especially to growers of cotton in the South, inasmuch 
 as an increased demand for cottonseed products would add 
 immediately and permanently to the value of the cotton 
 crop. 
 
 OLEOMARGARINE. 
 
 There is now pending in the United States Senate, 
 Senate Bill No. 3152, introduced by Senator Penrose, which 
 I understand if passed, would absolutely prohibit the man- 
 ufacture of oleomargarine in the United States. There is 
 also pending in the House, House Bill No. 557, introduced 
 by Mr. Caulfield, a bill which I am informed would repeal 
 all laws regarding the manufacture and sale of oleomar- 
 garine in the United States except, of course, the national 
 pure food laws. 
 
 We are interested in the manufacture of oleomargarine, 
 at least to the extent of the amount of cotton oil used in 
 this product and, further to the extent that its manufacture 
 may become of benefit to Southern dairymen. In European 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 105 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 countries cotton oil is extensively used in its manufacture, 
 and its use for this purpose forms a very large part of the 
 foreign demand for cotton oil. 
 
 Oleomargarine is a sweet, pure, wholesome edible prod- 
 uct and is sold, I understand, in this country in full com- 
 pliance with the pure food laws, both national and State, 
 \vhich are sometimes almost prohibitive in their provisions. 
 The production of butter in both this country and Europe 
 falls far short of the demand. It was stated recently in 
 the London Daily Mail that the supply of butter had fallen 
 below the demand for many years, and had actually 
 reached the proportions of a famine in different parts of 
 England. 
 
 Without substitutes for butter the poorer people 
 especially will be deprived of this absolutely necessary 
 article of food. Oleomargarine has proven a satisfactory 
 substitute. There seems to be no good reason why laws 
 discrimating against its manufacture in favor of other 
 products should be enacted, yet both national and many 
 of the State governments have put restrictive laws on their 
 statute books. 
 
 The New York Appellate Division of the Supreme Court 
 recently decided the oleomargarine law of that State un- 
 constitutional in an important respect. The court held 
 that constitutional principles were violated by the enact- 
 ment, "which absolutely prohibited an important branch of 
 industry for the sole reason that it competes with another 
 and may reduce the price of an article of food for the 
 human race." 
 
 This matter is brought to your attention at the request of 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 106 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 several members so that it may receive such consideration 
 by you as you may decide it deserves. In order that it 
 may be intelligently discussed I have, after consultation 
 with our executive committee, extended invitations to the 
 oleomargarine manufacturers to send representatives to 
 this meeting, and several of them have responded. On 
 behalf of the association I take pleasure in welcoming 
 them here and in offering to them the usual courtesies of 
 the occasion. 
 
 Mr. J. J. Culbertson, of Texas, a member of this associa- 
 tion, has consented to deliver an address on this subject 
 during this meeting. 
 
 DISCUSSING THE PRICE OF COTTONSEED. 
 
 At the special meeting held in New Orleans in Septem- 
 ber, 1907, an invitation was extended to us by Hon. Harvie 
 Jordan, president of the Southern Cotton Growers' Asso- 
 ciation, to appoint delegates to meet a delegation from his 
 association to discuss with them the price of seed, with a 
 view, if possible, of establishing some staple price. The 
 delegates were appointed under resolution adopted by you 
 with instructions to discuss the value of seed, but under no 
 circumstances to enter into a discussion of price. 
 
 The meeting was held and the report on the result will 
 be submitted to this convention by Mr. M. S. Harper, 
 president of the Georgia Cottonseed Crushers' Association, 
 one of our representatives at the joint meeting. 
 
 Our association is unique among commercial and indus- 
 trial organizations in that it has never sought to fix prices 
 on the raw materials, the supplies its members purchase, 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 107 
 
 nor on the products they manufacture. On the contrary, 
 at its New Orleans meeting in September, 1907, the asso- 
 ciation placed itself on record against such practices, and 
 it is not likely that its policy will ever be changed in this 
 respect, but other associations holding different views have 
 adopted a different course. The executive committees rep- 
 resenting the Cotton Growers' Association and the Na- 
 
 Heari of the American Sardine Packing Industry, Where Cotton 
 Oil Is Used in Packing Fish. 
 
 tional Farmers' Union have attempted to fix prices on 
 cottonseed, frequently naming a price without proper re- 
 gard to the value of products and without giving due con- 
 sideration to other conditions. Often the price proposed 
 for seed has been beyond the ability of the mills to pay and 
 in excess of the value of the seed to the growers themselves. 
 The high prices recently paid for seed by the mills will 
 be hard to maintain under any circumstances, but the 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 108 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 farmers may do much in that direction by more generally 
 using cottonseed products in their homes and on their 
 farms, instead of using competing articles. There is no 
 better, more wholesome or more economical cooking fat 
 than cottonseed oil, yet the growers of cottonseed continue 
 to some extent to buy other articles for cooking purposes 
 inferior to cotton oil and competing with it. 
 
 Cottonseed meal stands at the head of American feeding 
 materials in the percentage of fat and protein, the ma- 
 terials most needed for stock feed, and yet in many sections 
 growers of seed import other feeding material not so val- 
 uable as cottonseed meal and pay higher prices for it. 
 Likewise the growers of seed import hay and roughage for 
 stock feed and pay from three to four times as much for it 
 as they do for cottonseed hulls, equally as valuable if not 
 superior to the articles imported. 
 
 Cottonseed meal contains a high percentage of ammonia. 
 No material, properly mixed with phosphoric acid and 
 potash, makes a better commercial fertilizer for Southern 
 soils and Southern crops, yet growers of cottonseed go on 
 using other sources of ammonia in their fertilizers, paying 
 as high or higher prices for it, thus creating and supporting 
 competition against their own and the interests of the oil 
 mills. 
 
 Co-operation between the farmers and the mills is most 
 desirable, in their mutual interest, so far as it can be had in 
 legitimate trading. Much has been done to bring this 
 about by the interstate and State publicity bureaus of the 
 crushers' associations, and much more can and will be done 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 109 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 in the educational work in which those bureaus are now 
 working. 
 
 GRADING COTTONSEED. 
 
 At our last annual convention at Jamestown resolutions 
 were adopted, unanimously, calling attention to the preser- 
 vation and better care of cottonseed and recommending 
 that the members of this association in each State urge 
 upon their legislatures such enactments as will fully pro- 
 tect the buyers of seed by requiring sellers to deliver such 
 goods as they guarantee. It was further directed that a 
 committee be appointed in each State from the members of 
 this association for the purpose of carrying out the recom- 
 mendation. 
 
 These committees were appointed by the president, and 
 considerable correspondence resulted. For various reasons 
 the matter was not pressed in any of the States, but the 
 committees appointed at that time will submit the reports 
 required during this session and such further action taken 
 as the association thinks proper. 
 
 THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES. 
 
 Your executive committees have worked unceasingly 
 for the good of the association. Without such work noth- 
 ing could have been accomplished. It is a great pleasure 
 also to add that the individual members have promptly re- 
 sponded to every call on them where the association's work 
 has been concerned. 
 
 The good resulting from such cordial co-operation be- 
 tween officers and members was recently demonstrated in 
 one particular matter pending before Congress in which 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 HO .COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 our industry was deeply interested. Acting together they 
 were able to show to the members of Congress the necessity 
 for the continued appropriation of funds to carry on inves- 
 tigations regarding our products in foreign markets and to 
 aid in securing favorable action thereon. It also demon- 
 strated the influence of your association and the impor- 
 tance of your products. This is only one of many similar 
 instances that have occurred during the year. 
 
 In discharging the duties assigned to me I have had the 
 active assistance of the executive committee, without which 
 any efforts on my part to promote your interests would 
 have resulted in failure. 
 
 RULES. 
 
 At your last annual meeting the by-laws were so amended 
 as to require the committee on rules to meet in advance of 
 the regular annual meeting of the association and prepare 
 such amendments to the rules as might be presented and 
 approved, and to print and distribute to the members such 
 changes in the rules as the committee recommended. 
 
 In accordance therewith the committee met at New 
 Orleans, La., on March 24, 1908, and discussed all amend- 
 ments proposed. Their report was printed and distributed 
 to our members. This report has now been in the hands 
 of the members about two weeks, and will also be sub- 
 mitted to this meeting for your consideration and such 
 action as the meeting may see proper to take. 
 
 The committee carefully considered every change sug- 
 gested and worked hard, intelligently and unselfishly to 
 perfect the rules and adapt them to every condition affect- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY HI 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 ing the trade in cottonseed products. I hope their recom- 
 mendations will receive your approval. 
 
 FINANCIAL. 
 
 The annual report of the secretary and treasurer fur- 
 nishes the details of receipts and disbursements. The 
 year has been an unusually busy one for the association, 
 involving unusual expense. The special meeting of the 
 association held in New Orleans in September, the extra 
 meeting of the rules committee at New Orleans in March, 
 the several extra meetings of the executive committee at 
 Memphis and New Orleans, the litigation over the tariff on 
 press cloth, were all the result of conditions arising out of 
 the growing importance of the association's work. 
 
 The bureau of publicity has also done much more work 
 than heretofore, including an increase in its publications, 
 the expense being necessarily larger. While the receipts 
 have practically all been expended the association closes 
 the year out of debt and with probable income sufficient for 
 the ensuing year to meet all current expenses. 
 
 THE SECRETARY. 
 
 The annual report of the secretary and treasurer, Major 
 Kobert Gibson, will be submitted as usual. I wish to add 
 my testimony to that of all the presidents who have pre- 
 ceded me regarding Major Gibson's absolute faithfulness 
 and loyalty. He has served you since the organization of 
 your association. If he thinks about anything else on 
 earth, besides his own family, or if he loves anything in the 
 world better than your work, I have not discovered it after 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 about three years of close personal contact with him. 
 Other members of your association have served you with 
 fidelity and interest, but they did sometimes think of some- 
 thing else besides the association's work, while his mind 
 never wanders to any other subject. I believe if you should 
 wake him up at midnight or drag him drowning from the 
 bottom of the Mississippi River, he would ask you for your 
 dues. His report is comprehensive, but if it fails to give 
 you any information that you want, search him and I will 
 guarantee that you will find it in his pocket or in his head. 
 
 PUBLICITY BUREAU. 
 
 I ask your most careful attention to the annual report of 
 the publicity bureau. Crude mill managers individually, 
 as a rule, formerly made very little effort to increase the 
 value of the products, and the refiners were often too well 
 satisfied to allow the refined products to be used as adul- 
 terants. The creation of the publicity bureau has caused 
 some changes in this respect. This work has brought to- 
 gether in closer relationship the refiners and the producers 
 of crude oil. Its work has shown the mills that none of 
 the products have brought their value in comparison with 
 the commodities with which they compete, and this has 
 resulted in promoting new markets and new uses, and, con- 
 sequently, increased values. The refiners have also more 
 fully realized this, and together with the crude mills have 
 given a more permanent value to the products. 
 
 It is, therefore, surprising that the financial support 
 given the bureau should be so far less than it requires. 
 This must be due to the fact that the good which has 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 113 
 
 already been accomplished, and the opportunities for still 
 greater results, are not fully understood by the association. 
 Up to the time of the establishment of the bureau prac- 
 tically all of the advertising of oil and the products of oil 
 
 An English Exhibit of Cotton Oil and Hogless Lard. Confec- 
 tioners' Exhibition, London. 
 
 had been done by the refiners. The rapid increase in the 
 number of crude mills and the consequent increased pro- 
 duction of crude oil made it necessary to create a demand 
 sufficient to meet the increased production of the oil, as 
 weil as the higher price of the raw material. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 114 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 The creation of the bureau of publicity was an offer on 
 the part of the crude mills to contribute their share of the 
 necessary advertising expenses and to co-operate with the 
 refiners in further exploiting cottonseed products. Some 
 of the refiners declined this offer and withdrew from the 
 association. Other refiners have given only lukewarm 
 approval to the movement, while others, more in sympathy 
 with it, have been more generous in their support. The 
 splendid results that might be accomplished by co-operation 
 between the refiners and the mills does not seem to be 
 fully appreciated. 
 
 The work accomplished by the bureau this year is fully 
 set forth in the report of the committee, and should be 
 gratifying to the association. The committee has per- 
 formed its duty fully, and the advertising which it has given 
 cottonseed products is of the highest character. Its pub- 
 lications have been models of excellence. 
 
 While the opportunities before the publicity bureau, with 
 proper support, are unlimited, there is much, very much, 
 that individual millers can do on their own account and in 
 their own towns by co-operating with the bureau in making 
 better home markets. This is too often neglected. If 
 every manager and every employe would use the products 
 hiinsself and talk about them more, advertise in his local 
 papers, show to regular customers and to possible cus- 
 tomers their value and how to use them, he would be of 
 benefit to the mills and to the purchaser and to the com- 
 munity and would accomplish surprising results. With 
 the publicity bureau back of him to furnish the literature 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 115 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 needed, he would find the \vork not only pleasant and profit- 
 able, but intensely interesting. 
 
 The convention should determine what amount is needed 
 to sustain the bureau of publicity, and so provide for it in 
 a practical and definite way. 
 
 EXHIBITION OF COTTONSEED PRODUCTS. 
 
 There is no Southern industry that has been more bene- 
 ficial to the country than the manufacture of cottonseed 
 products. 
 
 It has established a permanent value for cottonseed, 
 adding thereby over sixty million dollars to the value of 
 the cotton crop annually, even if only sixty per cent, of the 
 seed are crushed. 
 
 It has caused the investment in the South alone of ap- 
 proximately seventy-five million dollars, giving employ- 
 ment to over twenty-five thousand people. It has increased 
 the export trade of the United States by between thirty-five 
 and forty million dollars annually. Oil, its most valuable! 
 product, has partly supplied the shortage in olive and other 
 vegetable oils in Europe, created, by the increasing popula- ' 
 tion of the old world. It has successfully entered into the 
 manufacture of oleomargarine, butterine and other similar! 
 substitutes in Europe and America, thus furnishing 
 wholesome products in many sections where butter has bef 
 come almost unknown. Lard substitutes made with it 
 have largely supplanted hogs' lard and almost made the. 
 South independent of this Western product. 
 
 Its by-products have made dairying and cattle-raising in 
 the South possible and profitable, and, in addition, an- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 116 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 nually supplies to European stockfeeders and dairymen 
 about six hundred thousand tons of cottonseed meal and 
 cake, the richest and best-known stock feed ever produced. 
 
 In time it will create great packing-houses in the South. 
 It has enriched the soil and restored abandoned lands to 
 their original fertility, greatly increasing the yields of all 
 crops. 
 
 So far as the United States is concerned, the crushing of 
 seed is, and must necessarily remain, a Southern monopoly. 
 Mills are operated in England, Germany, China, India and 
 South America, but nowhere are the products of these 
 equal in quality, or even approximately so, to those pro- 
 duced in the Southern States from seed gathered fresh from 
 the fields. 
 
 If this meeting would appoint a committee to take charge 
 of an exposition illustrating these facts, to be held in some 
 central city of the South offering the greatest inducement, 
 either through municipal guarantees or through commer- 
 cial or business organizations, I feel sure that the neces- 
 sary amount to cover the expenses of such an exhibit would 
 be raised, and the most unique, the most interesting and the 
 most useful, practical display would be made that has ever 
 been gathered together in the South. If the next annual 
 meetings of the interstate and all the separate State or- 
 ganizations were held in the city selected for this purpose 
 at the same time, and if possible arrangements made for 
 the dairy and stock associations to participate in the meet- 
 ings and the exhibit, and similar arrangements made with 
 the manufacturers of all mill machinery, such a meeting 
 would bring together the largest industrial convention 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY H7 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 ever held in the South. The city entertaining the conven- 
 tion would derive immense benefit from it. The practical 
 result to our interests would be of incalculable value. 
 
 If individual exhibits were made by the manufacturers 
 of refinery products and the crude mills, the expense in- 
 volved would be small compared to the results, and the asso- 
 ciation itself would be called on for an insignificant part of 
 the expenses needed, particularly if the city selected for the 
 exhibit should contribute liberally for the purpose. 
 
 I submit the matter to your consideration, and if you 
 think the suggestion practicable would advise that a com- 
 mittee be appointed from among your members to co- 
 operate with committees from stock, dairy and machinery 
 associations throughout the country, and endeavor to ar- 
 range for such an exhibition, the details to be worked out 
 by these committees. 
 
 ADVERTISING. 
 
 We are frequently called on by parties in foreign coun- 
 tries, as well as by our own people, for information regard- 
 ing our products. At no time in the history of our indus- 
 try has there been more public interest in these products 
 than at present. We should cultivate this condition. Our 
 interstate publicity bureau and the various State bureaus 
 have done splendid work in this direction, especially within 
 the last year, and in addition to this our association should 
 prepare and publish pamphlets in convenient form to an- 
 swer special inquiries. I have just received an inquiry 
 through Special Agent Perkins from the German Agricul- 
 tural Society, an organization of German farmers with a 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 H8 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 membership of 16,000, publishing a weekly bulletin, asking 
 for information regarding the feeding value of cottonseed 
 meal. We should be ab]e to answer this with printed mat- 
 ter in concise, and yet complete, shape; it should give scien- 
 tific as well as practical values. I suggest that the pub- 
 licity committee be requested to prepare a pamphlet that 
 will meet this condition. 
 
 During the year Dr. A. M. Soule, dean of the Agricul- 
 tural College of Georgia, carried a train through that State 
 with exhibits of articles of interest to the farmers, accom- 
 panied by lecturers able to explain the exhibits. Through 
 the courtesy of Dr. Soule the manufacturers of cottonseed 
 products were allowed to arrange in their exhibit car a 
 full line of cottonseed, products and to send a man with the 
 exhibit to explain it. The result has been most encourag- 
 ing, and if followed in other States will prove of great ben- 
 efit to our millers. 
 
 The opportunities for advertising are unlimited, and if 
 we did more of it through the trade journals and the news- 
 papers the demand for these products w r ould immensely in- 
 crease. / 
 
 TRADE JOURNALS. 
 
 What some one has called "hypnotism of the types" has 
 been realized by our association. Owing its origin to a 
 member of the press, it has received from the beginning the 
 highest consideration of the trade journals, without whose 
 assistance its success could not have been attained. 
 
 The talented editors of these papers, inspired by high 
 motives of public good, have, by their encouragement, their 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 119- 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 timely advice, their support of every movement for the good 
 of the business, greatly assisted in promoting this work, 
 and, in addition to their editorials, have freely used the 
 columns of their papers, without charge, to exploit and 
 advertise cottonseed products. 
 
 Their good influence has been far-reaching, and we owe 
 them a debt that cannot be cancelled entirely by resolu- 
 tion ; we should express our obligation and our gratitude in 
 the usual manner, and thus show them that their brilliant 
 work for us has been appreciated. 
 
 But we should always remember that some substantial 
 recognition is just as essential to their business as to ours. 
 In many parts of the country the daily press has also shown 
 our interests unusual consideration, and, while this has 
 been done without hope of reward other than a recognition 
 of the great public service rendered, we should, wherever 
 possible, remember them when we are pasisng around the 
 possible, remember them when we are passing around the 
 small, and the fishes should be whales, not minnows. 
 
 OUR ASSOCIATES. 
 
 Our friends who have laid aside their own important 
 business affairs to accept our invitation to address this 
 convention and to participate in its deliberations and dis- 
 cussions will receive your most courteous attention. They 
 come at our request to give us the benefit of their experience 
 in the use of our products and to advise with us on other 
 matters in which we are interested. Such encouragement 
 and assistance will be greatly appreciated by you and will 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 120 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 facilitate the further development of our industry, and we 
 will profit by their presence. 
 
 In your name I extend to them a most cordial welcome 
 to our meeting and thank them for the sacrifice they have 
 made in our interest. 
 
 IN MEMORIAM. 
 
 It is well that we should pause in the pursuit of business 
 to pay proper respect to the memories of those of our 
 members who during the year have "crossed over the 
 river," to recall their services, to praise their virtues and 
 to express our obligations to them for what they have 
 taught us by precept and example. Since our last meeting 
 we have lost from our membership by death Major Robert 
 A. Allison, of Winona, Miss.; Mr. C. S. McCullough, of 
 Darlington, S. 0., and Mr. J. S. Armstrong, of Dallas, 
 Texas. They were all prominent in our association, con- 
 tributed liberally of their means, time and talent to its 
 work and to the development of the industry it represents. 
 
 It is fitting that the association should recognize this by 
 suitable records on the minutes and in the reports of its 
 proceedings. Knowing that this will be indorsed by you I 
 have appointed committees from among the friends of each 
 of our deceased members and requested them to present 
 suitable resolutions to this convention expressive of the 
 sentiments of this association on the losses its members 
 have sustained. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 Gentlemen of the convention, you represent one of the 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 121 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 world's youngest, greatest and most beneficial industries. 
 Its great interest commands your earnest and most careful 
 attention. 
 
 You will have before you at this meeting the considera- 
 tion of questions involving the continued growth and pros- 
 perity of your industry ; its future is largely in your keep- 
 ing; much depends on what you do during the next few 
 days ; upon your actions may hang future success or failure. 
 From no other source can or will these interests be so well 
 guarded. I believe that here on the banks of the Ohio, the 
 lins that formerly divided the people of this great country 
 in strife, now a band that binds us together in mutual 
 friendship and interest in this great city of Louisville, 
 famous in song and story, you will be inspired to still 
 greater efforts to promote the good of your own great in- 
 dustry, and when you have returned to your homes and 
 resumed your usual occupations, you will realize and ap- 
 preciate the benefits you have derived from your attendance 
 here. In the conduct of your business at home you will 
 need the patience of Job and the righteousness of Abraham, 
 but if you will be both patient and righteous, you will, at 
 our next annual convention, be able to rejoice over your 
 complete success and to congratulate yourselves on the 
 good that you have done, not only for yourselves and your 
 stockholders, but for the country at large. 
 
 I need not say in conclusion that it has been the greatest 
 pleasure and the greatest honor of my business life to have 
 served you in the high position to which, by your partiality, 
 you elected me. I have watched with the greatest interest 
 and satisfaction the wonderful development of the indus- 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 122 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 try. It has grown iii a short while, as measured by trade 
 developments, from a few scattered mills on the Mississippi 
 and in the Piedmont region of the Carolinas, to that of a 
 great manufacturing industry, conferring benefits on our 
 people, receiving indorsement and encouragement of the 
 national government, creating other industries, and win- 
 ning the world's recognition of its products. But there yet 
 remains much to be done before its full development is 
 reached. That this will be accomplished and that every 
 obstacle to our trade will be removed will not be doubted 
 by any one familiar with the energy, ability, honesty and 
 loyalty of the members of our association. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 123 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 A MODEST LITTLE STORY OF A BIG LITTLE SEED. 
 
 A SHORT SKETCH OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF COTTON OIL-- 
 PURITY OF THE PRODUCT ITS VARIOUS USES ITS BENE- 
 FITS TO THE SOUTHERN COTTON GROWER. 
 
 It is said that story is simply an abbreviation of Ms-story, 
 and, therefore, a story well told contains as many facts as 
 history. In the following little story, of great achieve- 
 ments from humble beginnings, everything will be facts 
 except where the reverse can be inferred : 
 
 Tradition tells us that on the site of ancient Athens, 
 where opposing forces struggled for supremacy, a seed 
 dropped from Heaven between the rocks and sprouted, from 
 which sprang a wonderful plant, and so long as it was culti- 
 vated agriculture in that country flourished. It has always 
 been supposed that this was an olive, because it is an oil- 
 bearing fruit and because oil has always been considered an 
 emblem of plenty. 
 
 Two thousand years ago the Chinese are said to have 
 expressed oil from the cottonseed, and to have appreciated 
 its merits. Nearly two thousand years later the southern 
 part of the United States realized the value of cottonseed 
 for its oil-bearing properties, and in a small way expressed 
 the oil, and shipped it to foreign countries. At first it 
 reached those markets in such small quantities that it was 
 difficult to find buyers for it, and it was used for whatever 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 124: COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 purpose the purchaser desired it, principally in the soap 
 kettle. As larger quantities crossed the waters, the manu- 
 facturers of olive oil had it brought to their attention, and 
 investigation showed that it ranked with the highest grade 
 of olive and other similar oils. It soon came back to this 
 country masquerading under foreign titles, and dressed out 
 in foreign garbs. So long as it associated only with the 
 aristocratic olive, and was in such good company, no fur- 
 ther efforts to exploit its virtues were made by the manu- 
 facturers, until the production reached a point where 
 larger markets were needed. It then found its way to the 
 Western packers, and they were shrewd enough to realize 
 its value to them, as it was cheaper than lard oil. The 
 purity of cottonseed oil was such that it finally went into 
 the market under its own merits, asserted itself under its 
 own name, and declared its independence, and has since 
 been recognized as the best, the purest and most wholesome 
 product in any part of the world. 
 
 A tourist asked a citizen, "What is cottonseed oil?" and 
 the citizen answered, "Oil made from cottonseed,'' and 
 thought he had told him all there was to be told. 
 
 A primrose by the river's brim, 
 A yellow primrose was, to him, 
 And nothing more. 
 
 If the question had been asked of any well-informed 
 person, the inquirer would have been told a great many 
 other things. He would have been informed that the man- 
 ufacture of cottonseed oil has contributed enormously to 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 COTTONSEED INDUSTRY 125 
 
 OF THE SOUTH 
 
 the wealth of the South, has established a business giving 
 employment to thousands of people, and added millions to 
 the export trade of this country. He would also have been 
 told that if each inhabitant in the State of Georgia would 
 use cottonseed oil in the place of lard and butter, all of 
 the oil produced in Georgia would be used in the State, and 
 in cfoing this the increase in the market price of the oil 
 would be sufficient to increase the value of cottonseed prob- 
 ably one million dollars, which would go directly to the 
 farmers of Georgia, and that if the oil was used in the same 
 proportions throughout the South for a few years, its en- 
 hanced value would make the seed as valuable as the lint, 
 and the health of the people would be greatly improved. 
 With these benefits and advantages to the South, the in- 
 quirer would naturally ask why the people of this State 
 do not use cottonseed oil more extensively for salads and 
 cooking. The answer would be that its value has not been 
 fully appreciated. 
 
OVERDUE. 
 
 
YC 26041; 
 
 . 
 
 223167