274 Annual Report for 1914 of the Consulting Chemist. 



be a decided shortage, as it has been usual to import a con- 

 siderable quantity of this material from abroad. 



Potash salts have already been dealt with, and, as regards 

 nitrogenous materials, the supply of sulphate of ammonia is 

 plentiful and likely so to continue, as there is no longer the 

 considerable export to Germany which existed previously. Con- 

 sequently the whole supply made in this country is available for 

 use, and the price has been very much lowered in consequence. 

 Nitrate of soda still continues to come in, but the price of it 

 is at present high in comparison with sulphate of ammonia. 



Following my usual practice, I now comment on particular 

 points brought out by my examination of the samples submitted 

 to me during the year. 



A, Feeding Stuffs. 



At the close of 1913 the respective prices for linseed cake 

 and cotton cake were 11. 12s. 6rf. per ton and oZ. 7s. 6rf. per ton 

 ex. mill. There was not much change in these during the 

 earlier months of 1914, but about June the price of linseed 

 cake went up to 11. lis. 6rf. and 8/. a ton. During August 

 prices were still high, reaching, first, 8Z. 5s. and 8^. 12s. (^d. per 

 ton, and then '61. 15s. and 9Z. 7s. 'od. per ton for linseed cake, 

 with 5?. 17s. M. to 6Z. per ton the price for cotton cake. In 

 September and October these prices declined a little to 8Z. 15s. 

 and bl. 5s. per ton respectively, but in November there was 

 again a slight rise to &. 15s. and 91. per ton for linseed cake, 

 with 51. 10s. and 51. 15s. per ton for cotton cake. 



These prices naturally led to a falling off in the use, more 

 particularly of linseed cake, and the replacing of it by other 

 foods, compound cakes being largely used instead. It is satis- 

 factory, however, to record that, so far as the samples of linseed 

 cake and cotton cake submitted to me by Members were con- 

 concerned, there was no clear instance of inferior quality or 

 adulteration. 



1. Decorticated Cot/on Cake. 

 This has been very variable in quality. Occasionally good 

 samples have been met with, at other times only hard inferior 



