VARIETIES OF COTTON-CAKE. 357 



the species of Gossypium afford, by expression, an oil, employed 

 in lamps and for many other purposes. Cotton-cake, the resi- 

 due after the expression of the oil, has of late come into the 

 market as fit for the feeding of cattle. Dr Voelcker has pub- 

 lished an analysis of some of the varieties met with in the 

 market. This cotton-cake is the residue after the expression 

 of the oil from the seeds of the Gossypium barbadense. Many 

 inferior sorts of cotton-cake have been imported into this 

 country, against which purchasers should be on their guard. 



The following varieties of this article appear to be now on 

 sale in this country for the use of agriculturists : 



1. Thin decorticated cotton-cake. 



2. Thick decorticated cake. 



3. Ordinary cake made of whole seed. 



4. Oil meal, or the thick cake reduced to a coarse powder. 



Dr Voelcker remarks "Those who have been fortunate 

 enough to secure the best decorticated cake, I doubt not, will 

 be led by their experience to consider it a most valuable feed- 

 ing substance ; whilst the experience of buyers of inferior cake, 

 made from the whole seed, must lead to a much less favour- 

 able practical opinion."* 



Cotton-cake does not contain any large amount of mucilage, 

 or anything that produces on mixing with water a volatile 

 pungent or injurious essential oil. Cattle often take it at 

 once, and, even when they have been previously fed on linseed- 

 cake, soon get accustomed to the taste of cotton-cake, and eat 

 it apparently with as much avidity as linseed-cake. 



After giving the analysis of seven samples of thin decorti- 

 cated cotton-cake, Voelcker makes the following among other 

 observations : " The proportion of oil in all the samples 

 analysed is higher than in the best linseed-cake. As a direct 

 supplier of fat, cotton-cake is therefore superior to linseed- 



* ' English Journal of Agriculture,' vol. xix. p. 425. 



