Beans and Peas, ^'c. 491 



The mean being — 



Nitrogen . . . . 4* 35 



Oil 34-7(5 



Water .... 10-62 



Ash 3-r>2 



Comparing the results in the table with those of foreign linseed, 

 we find that great differences occur in the proportion of albu- 

 minous matters. No. 3 contains only 3*31 ; No. 4, 4'60 per cent, 

 of nitrogen — which numbers are equivalent to 210 and 29*2 per 

 cent, of albuminous principles respectively. It is not my inten- 

 tion to assert that foreign linseed is uniformly or generally less 

 rich in nitrogenous substances than home-grown seed : the number 

 of specimens examined does not warrant such a conclusion, and 

 for the present, whatever may be the result of a further exami- 

 nation, the question must be left open. But the facts do appear 

 to justify us in believing that the seed itself, even when free from 

 the admixture of other seeds and from dirt, is subject to great 

 variation in composition. Neither in the present case is the low 

 per-centage of nitrogen to be referred to an inferior or imperfectly 

 ripened seed, since No, 2 is called by a competent judge '' good 

 Memel,"* and has a high weight per bushel (56 lbs.). Whether 

 the variation in albuminous constituents is to be attributed to 

 climate or any other circumstance is not the question at present, 

 but simply whether the difference in the seed is sufficient to 

 account for the difference in the cake. The quantity of oil yielded 

 on the large scale by samples of linseed varies considerably. 

 Average Riga, for instance, will yield about 20 per cent, of its 

 weight, whilst Bombay seed affords as much as 26 per cent. 



For the convenience of calculation, let us suppose that two 

 samples of seed, the one containing 3 31, the other 4*54 per cent, 

 of nitrogen, lose upon pressure 20 per cent, of oil each. As the 

 whole of the nitrogen remains in the cake, whilst the latter is 

 diminished in weight by one-fifth, the per-centage of nitrogen 

 in the resulting cake will be one- fourth "f more than the above 

 numbers. Consequently the two samples instanced would afford 

 cakes containing 4-14 and 567 per cent, of nitrogen respectively, 

 which numbers represent, within a very little, the amount of varia- 

 tion actually observed between different samples of linseed-cake. 



No doubt, had a larger number of samples of linseed been 

 examined, the limits of variation might have been extended; 

 but the instances now adduced amply prove that differences 



* In the eyes of a linseed crusher a seed would probably be "good" which would 

 give a large yield of oil. 



f Thus 80 of cake will contain the same nitrogen as 100 of seed — then 

 Cake. Nitrogen. Cake. Nitrogen. 



As 80 : 3-31 : : 100 : 4-14 



which is therefore the per-centage. 



