KAPE OIL AND RAPE PLANT. 349 



Brassica napus; Brassica campestris; Brassica campestris 

 Oleifera, Rape. The seeds of several species or varieties of 

 Brassica are imported into this country for the purpose of 

 making " rapeseed oil," known also by the name of coleseed 

 oil, or colza oil. An oilcake is left after the expression of this 

 oil. 



Kape-cake, or rapeseed-cake, is imported into Britain both 

 for use as a manure, and also for the purpose of feeding stock. 

 It is, moreover, used to adulterate linseed-cake, as bearing a 

 lower price in the market. 



The following is the chemical analysis of rape-cake in 100 

 parts : 



Organic matter, . . . 91.40 



Ash, . . , . 8.60 



100.00 



Nitrogen, . . 6.14 



Ammonia, . . 7.43 



Oil, . . . 13.00 



Sand and silica, . . . 13.1 



Potash, . . . . 21.9 



Lime, ..... 8.6 



Magnesia, . . . .14.7 



Oxide of iron, . . . .4.5 



Chloride of potassium, . . . 0.2 



Chloride of sodium, . . .0.5 



Phosphoric acid, . . . 32.7 



Sulphuric acid, . . . . 1.6 



Carbonic acid, . . . .2.2 



100.0 



The rape plant itself, Brassica napus, is raised in this coun- 

 try for food to stock ; it is particularly serviceable for sheep. 

 It is useful at two seasons, spring and autumn. Sheep are 

 very fond of the rape-plant, and thrive remarkably upon it.* 



* For additional particulars of the rape plant, see Stephens's ' Book of 

 the Farm,' vol. ii. p. 101-103. 





