On the Theory and Practice of Water-Meadows. 479 



year suspended any fresh plan of irrigation, on account of the 

 apparent failure of those which were already executed, I have con- 

 tracted this winter for 26 acres of catch- meadow to be made at 

 3Z. IO5., and 30 more at only 2/. an acre. But what is described 

 gives no clear impression ; a work of art must be seen. Next 

 year, liovvever, our Society meets at Exeter. July, indeed, 

 is not a good season for seeing catch-meadows, as the water 

 is not upon them, and the grass wears no unusual verdure. 

 Still the method of irrigation may be even then understood, 

 and some one of the meadows could easily be watered slightly 

 for the inspection of visitors. To see what might be done in 

 Wales or in Scotland, the owners of mountain properties might 

 make a pleasant excursion along the Exe towards its source 

 northwards. The scenery will beguile the way, and near the 

 Bristol Channel they will find excellent samples of hill-side 

 catch-meadows about Timberscombe and upon Dunkerry not 

 much below the Beacon. For level meadows the patterns are to 

 be found within ten miles of Exeter, and I hope that they will not 

 be seen in vain by English gentlemen having villagers without 

 winter work, as who of us is there that has not ? 

 PusEY, Nov. 23, 1849. 



XXIV. — On the Composition of Linseed Oil-Cake, Beans and 

 Peas, 8fc. By J. Thomas Way, Consulting Chemist to the 

 Society. 



The consumers of linseed-cake in this country are almost unani- 

 mous in the belief that the different samples of this article are of 

 very varying value as food for stock. Where such an opinion as 

 this is general, it would argue little wisdom to dispute its cor- 

 rectness : it only remains to investigate the cause. 



When linseed, ground into coarse powder and digested with a 

 small quantity of water, with the aid of heat, is exposed to strong 

 pressure, two products are obtained — the one, an oil of well- 

 known characters, linseed oil ; the other, the cake which remains 

 in the presses. No other substance but oil * is separated from 

 the cake; and the two products, therefore, correctly represent 

 the composition of the seed from which they are derived. Linseed 

 is known to consist principally of mucilage, or gum, sugar, oil, 

 and albuminous matter — the three former being substances devoid 

 of nitrogen, the latter having the same composition as the flesh 

 of animals, or the gluten of wheat. Now as linseed oil contains 



* Unless it be some very small quantity of water. 



