The influence of geographical source of seed on cotton oil

Conclusions

The results indicate, in general, a higher refractive index, consequently, a higher iodine value, lower titer, and a lower amount of stearin in the oil the farther north the seed is grown. The seed from the northwest section of the cotton country—most of Arkansas and Oklahoma and part of Texas—should give oils with the lowest amount of stearin.

The authors wish it to be understood that they feel that conclusions cannot definitely be drawn from the data given, since they are taken from oils from a limited number of mills; there are no representatives of oils from some of the states; there are many samples from certain individual mills and only one or two from others; finally, they represent seed from the latter portion of the season and only one season’s milling. The conclusions, however, agree with a very general impression, gained from determinations of titer and other characteristics, that the farther north the seed is grown the less stearin the oil contains. Pigulevski has already pointed out an analogous variation in the case of the seed oil of certain essential oil bearing plants in which the iodine value increased as the geographical location extended toward the north. It will be necessary to carry on the work of collecting and tabulating the data in future seasons in order to know to a certainty whether the geographical origin of the seed has any influence on the character of the oil.