516 On the Management of Breeding Cattle. 



mixture of other seeds ; and if the Greeks, in whose hands 

 this article is now to a great extent centred, were not to 

 tamper with it, the importation woukl leave little if any room for 

 objection. But during the late Russian war, and indeed down 

 to the present time, adulteration has been carried to such an 

 extent, that a deputation of seed-crushers, appointed at a general 

 meeting of that body with a view to redress this evil, waited 

 upon the principal Greek houses in London. The interview, 

 however, resulted in a total failure of the object desired to be 

 brought about, for the deputation, on being shown a sample of 

 pure linseed, and also one containing the admixture complained 

 of, and being requested to state their opinion what price such 

 linseed, on arrival here, would command in the market, were 

 forced to admit that competition for seed amongst the crushers 

 had much influence over the quality of the article supplied, 

 and that the ready sale which could be found for an inferior 

 quality removed all inducement from the seller to ship a genuine 

 article. To the high price attained during the last two or 

 three years, coupled with inferior quality and quantify arising 

 from bad harvests, may be attributed the deterioration of quality 

 in linseed. The crusher, aiming at uniformity in his manufac- 

 ture, but more especially to suit the tastes of his customers, has 

 no doubt in some instances been induced to add to the already 

 large accumulation of extraneous matter, so that, when the cake 

 is crushed and ready for use, it cannot always be said to be 

 LiNSEED-cake. 



Our brethren across the Atlantic have studied the art of manu- 

 facturing linseed-cake. What they produce is faultless to the eye, 

 and, if not always perfection to the taste, it is thin, tender, flaky, 

 and finds a ready sale in this country at the highest market price 

 of the day, the question of genuineness being left entirely for subse- 

 quent determination. The cake pleases the eye and is always in 

 good demand; and what more is required? Farmers have only 

 themselves to blame in this respect. A considerable quantity 

 of cake is now used for feeding sheep, and for this purpose 

 cake of a tender kind, such as this, is preferred : it is pro- 

 duced bg the addition of bran in its mamfacture. Thus the 

 i'armer has to pay 10/. or 11/. per ton for cake which pleases the 

 eye in this country, but omits to consider that for this he has to 

 pay dearly for the admixture of bran, which costs 4/. or 5/. per ton, 

 and in the United States probably about half that price. The 

 intrinsic value of linseed-cake is not sufficiently dwelt upon ; hard- 

 }jressed cake, or cake which is closely ground, altliough genuine, 

 is invariably refused by the farmer, and preference given to the 

 more tender-looking but adulterated kinds. My own bailiff I have 

 observed is inclined to the latter-mentioned quality of cake, espe- 



