i68 ANNUAL REPORT OF THM/ Off. Doc 



The average superiority of the goods sold m New York and New 

 England in 1898-9, is shown by analyses reported in Bulletin No. 

 166 of 'the New York Experiment Station and summarized in Bulletin 

 No. 130 of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. 



LINSEED MEAL. 



The seed of the flax plant is also rich in a peculiar oil, possessing 

 in marked degree the power of absorbing oxjgen from the air and 

 thereby becoming hard and resinous — a properly fitting it especially 

 for use in making paints and oil varnish. The oil is contained, to- 

 gether with an abundance of protein, in the inner portion of the seed, 

 the endosperm, or reserve food-supply for the developing embryo. 

 The flat, shining seeds, dark brown in color, form, if mature, a slimy 

 layer when left in contact with water. This is due to a transforma- 

 tion of the outer layers of the seed-coat into mucilage. One of the 

 dark inner lavers of the seed-coat carries considerable tannin. 

 Owing, however, to the other constituents, the seed has a markedly 

 soothing and slightly laxative etlect. The composition of the en- 

 tire seed is, according to Kuehn:* 



l*er cent. 



Water, 11.8 



Ash, 3.4 



Protein 21.7 



Fiber, 7.9 



Nitrogen-free extract, 19.6 



Fat or oil, 35 . 6 



100.0 



There are two general [)rocesses for the separation of the oil 

 from the crushed seed. The older process involves the pressure of 

 the »eed-meal by hydraulic presses. The operation is more complete 

 when the seed-meal is first cooked, though the oil takes out more 

 resin and coloring matter and, if too high a temperature is reached, 

 the protein is modified and becomes somewhat less digestible. Meals 

 from linseed cake prepared in this manner, are called "old pro- 

 cess'' meals and rarely, if ever, contain less than 3.5 per cent, of oil, 

 the warm-pressing usually removing but 27 to 28 i)er cent, of the oil. 



•Pott. T.dw. Futtermlttel, p. 442-S. 



