MUSTARD SEED AND CAKE. 401 



Mustard seed is grown in this country chiefly for 

 grinding purposes the manufacture of mustard for home 

 consumption. On the Continent, however, it is cultivated 

 far more extensively for the oil it contains, which is ob- 

 tained by pressure in the usual way, and is used chiefly 

 for burning in lamps. The residuum after the oil is ex- 

 tracted forms a cake, which has been imported into this 

 country, and sold both as a manure and as a feeding sub- 

 stance, either by itself, or mixed with rape-cake, for the 

 adulteration of which it is used to some extent. According 

 to some experiments made at Hohenheim with mustard 

 seed, it was found that, when submitted to a proper pres- 

 sure, a yellow-coloured fatty oil was obtained in the follow- 

 ing proportions, the residuum forming the mustard-cake 

 of commerce 



White Mustard. Black Mustard. 



Oil, 22-2 23-3 



Cake, 77-0 75'8 



99-2 99-1 



In addition to this fatty or fixed oil, the cake contains 

 the elements of another of a highly volatile and irritating 

 character, which is generated immediately the substance 

 comes into contact with water, and which consequently 

 renders the cake containing it perfectly unfit for cattle 

 food, and readily accounts for the disastrous effects which 

 recent experience has shown it to produce, where it has 

 been given even in probably a diluted state. In 1854 

 a quantity of oil-cake was imported from Kussia, and was 

 originally intended for manurial use, in the same manner 

 as rape-cake. Owing probably to the amount of feeding 

 materials it was found on analysis to contain, it was re- 

 commended and sold for feeding purposes, but was speedily 

 found to be followed by very serious consequences, causing 

 the death of all the animals that partook of it. An action 



