CONCENTRATED FOODS 277 



ton, but at present rates the price per unit is higher than is 

 charged for the decorticated cakes. Having regard to the 

 proportions of crude fibre in them, the former is probably 

 worth considerably less per unit than the latter. Unde- 

 corticated cotton cakes have, however, a certain binding 

 tendency which makes them very suitable for cows at grass. 



When the animals are on dry feed the woolly cotton 

 cellulose is apt to " ball " and produce stoppage of the bowels. 

 The Bombay cake is generally much worse in this respect 

 than the Egyptian ; but the latter often contains more of the 

 hard hulls. Both varieties are unsuitable for young stock, and 

 if given in large quantity may set up inflammation. 



Soyabean Cake. In the last few years cakes made from 

 Soy or Soja beans have been put on the market, and have 

 met with a favourable reception. In general character they 

 resemble decorticated cotton cake, but are said to be laxative 

 rather than binding. Certain farmers of the writer's acquaint- 

 ance have declared that Soya cakes have a strongly purgative 

 effect, but such does not seem to have been the common 

 experience. Good results have been obtained, and the 

 majority of farmers seem to think that these cakes will become 

 permanently established on the market. At present, Soya 

 cakes command about the same price as decorticated cotton 

 cakes ; but, judged by chemical composition they are, as a 

 rule, not worth quite so much. 



Rape Cake. Rape or colza seed is grown in Germany, 

 Austria, Russia, and India, chiefly for the sake of the oil. 

 The cake resembles linseed cake in composition and general 

 properties, but is easily distinguished by its colour and odour. 

 Though at one time highly esteemed, it has now fallen 

 into disfavour in this country, probably because it was 

 generally impure and not infrequently it was deliberately 

 adulterated. Mustard and other foreign seeds, sand, gypsum, 

 and other impurities were often present. Rape cake is still 

 used on the continent, where it can be obtained at low prices 

 (cf. pp. 1 66, 213). In England the rape oil is now to a large 

 extent extracted by means of solvents, and the residual meal 

 is used as manure. 



