486 



On the Composition of Linseed Oil- Cake, 



qualities, whilst the latter is not capable of being expressed even 

 approximately in figures. It must, therefore, for the present, be 

 left to the intelligent farmer to decide for himself upon this point. 



The per-centageofoz7 is more uniformly variable, if we may so 

 speak. The extremes are found in No. 16, which contains 16-55 

 per cent., and No. 32, where it is only 6-60. Between these 

 points the samples present every degree of variation, although in 

 this respect the cakes of different countries possess well marked 

 peculiarities. 



In order that the reader may trace the above-mentioned differ- 

 ence, and that he may also observe the absence of any such dis- 

 tinction in the case of nitrogen, I shall offer a table of the average 

 composition of the specimens from different sources. 



Table 8. — Mean Composition of Linseed Cake from different countries : — 



French 



American 



English ... 9 



German and Dutch 3 



Russian ... 2 



Italian ... 2 



Sicilian ... 2 



8 sjjecimens 



7 



From this statement it would appear very evident that the 

 specimens of French, American, English, German, and Sicilian 

 cakes are on the average practically alike in regard to nitrogen. 

 Neither should we be inclined to believe that the Russian or 

 Italian would have furnished an exception to this rule, had a 

 sufficient number of samples been examined. 



On the other hand, there is an obvious difference between the 

 quantity of oil in the cakes of different countries. To instance 

 only those of American, French, and English manufacture, which 

 are sufficiently numerous to afford an average : — In French we 

 have 9, in American 11^, and in English 13^ per cent, of oil ; 

 that is to say, English cake contains on the average half as much 

 again. Neither is this peculiarity irregular, as in the case of the 

 nitrogen. Of eight specimens of French cake, no case occurs of 

 a greater proportion of oil than 10 per cent., whilst this number 

 expresses the least per-centage of nine English cakes. This 

 circumstance, which, from the great perfection of English ma- 

 chinery, we should have been at first unprepared to expect, will 

 go far to explain the superior softness and mellowness of English- 

 made cake. How far it may influence the fattening properties 

 I cannot pretend to say. It hardly admits of a doubt that, to 



