The subject of _Cotton-seed Oil_, is gaining attention, and
obtaining investigations, both in Europe and America. It is a
subject highly important to the southern states. Millions of bushels
of cotton seed are annually used as manure for corn, wheat, &c.
in South Carolina. For this purpose the article is worth, at the
present reduced prices of staple commodities, about 12 or 15 cents
a bushel; weighing about 25 lbs. lightly thrown in. One hundred
pounds of cotton seed, yields about 27 pounds of clean cotton, and
about three bushels of seed. The oleaginous quality of the pulp of
cotton-seed has long been known; and it is believed that any given
quantity of it contains as much oil as a like quantity of the pulp
of any other seed. As to its qualities, they are not all fully
developed; but considerable experience among leather-dressers in
North Carolina, has proven it to be equal to any other oil for
currying of leather for shoes, boots, harness, &c. Whether it can
be made to take the place of linseed oil, in painting, or of olive
in manufactures, remains to be determined. The great difficulty
attending the extracting of oil from cotton-seed, lies in the soft
and spongy texture of the shell which encloses the pulp, which with
the short firbs of cotton adhering to it, absorbs a great portion
of oil in the process. If the seed could be made to pass hastily
through fire, by the operation of machinery, to divest it of the
adhering cotton, then it seems probable that a machine somewhat
similar to that made for hulling barley, would take off the shell
or hull with great expedition. From all the light elicited on the
subject, it appears probable, that each bushel of seed might produce
a gallon of oil; and that the pulp, after the extraction of the
oil, would still be valuable for feeding cattle or for manure. For
every bale of cotton there might be produced about ten gallons of
oil: this, should the demand for oil continue, would be equal to
half or two-thirds the value of the cotton. The subject is highly
important to this state: and it is humbly conceived, would be worthy
of attention of the Agricultural Society of South Carolina, and
perhaps of legislative aid, by way of premiums, to encourage further
practical investigation.
[_Pee Dee Gazette._
_Nantucket whale fishery._--The number of ships now employed in
the whale fishery by the people of the small Island of Nantucket
is 72--28 of them between 3 and 400 tons. In addition to which
they have a large number of brigs and smaller vessels in the same
employment.
_A running horse_, lately died in England, for which the owner was
offered a few days before upwards of _fifteen thousand dollars_.