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XI. — Annual Report of the Consulting Chemist for 1873. 



The appended summary of the analytical work done for members 

 of the Royal Agricultural Society in 1873, shows that it was 

 fully as extensive as in the preceding year. From December 

 1872 to December 1873 as many as 670 analyses were furnished 

 to members, whilst 657 analyses were made in the preceding 

 year, thus showing an increase of 13 during the past year. 



Previous to the publication of the periodical reports of the 

 Chemical Committee, the number of analyses on the average 

 amounted to about 330 per annum. The analytical work now 

 done for members is thus double what it was before the issue of 

 the quarterly repoits of the committee. 



A marked improvement has taken place during the past 

 season in cake transactions. Pure linseed-cake is no longer 

 confined to a few mills, but is now made by many oil-crushers 

 who formerly manufactured exclusively mixed cakes. Although 

 most of the 181 samples of cakes examined in 1873 were pure, 

 and in all respects excellent feeding cakes, and only a few were 

 found purposely adulterated and of inferior quality, the custom 

 still prevails to some extent of selling, as genuine, linseed-cakes 

 which are made from imperfectly screened linseed. 



As it is impossible to determine with precision the percentage 

 of foreign matters in a linseed-cake made from more or less foul 

 linseed, but as no difficulty is experienced in ascertaining whether 

 a cake has been made from well-screened linseed or from dirty 

 seed which may have been perfectly genuine as imported, it is 

 strongly recommended to purchasers to insist upon being sup- 

 plied with pure linseed-cake in good condition and made from 

 Avell-screened, sound linseed only ; and, as a further guarantee, I 

 would suggest the stipulation that such cake should not contain 

 more than 1^ per cent, of sand. 



Occasionally foreign linseed-cake, equal in all respects to the 

 best pure English, can be bought in the open market at con- 

 siderably less cost than the latter ; but, as a rule, foreign linseed- 

 cake is not so fresh as the best English-made cake ; and as the 

 condition affects so much the practical value of feeding materials, 

 it is well worth while to spend from 10s. to 15s. more per ton for a 

 first-class fresh cake, than for a cake which may have been 

 originally made from equally pure linseed, but which in the 

 course of time has become stale, and, it may be, somewhat 

 mouldy. 



Several samples of mouldy decorticated cotton-cake have been 

 found on examination to be quite unfit for feeding purposes. Most 

 of the samples analysed during the past year were fine, light-yellow 



