FEEDING VALUE OF OIL-CAKES. 317 



flesh-forming constituents, in all the varieties of linseed 

 cake, is about the same as that contained in peas and 

 beans; therefore, for the purpose of laying on flesh in 

 feeding or working animals, they may be considered as 

 equally valuable with those grains, 



2d. That for the purpose of fattening, linseed- cake is 

 superior to these and to our other grains, and, indeed, to 

 all other kinds of vegetable food, with the exception of 

 oily seeds. 



3d. That samples of cake are liable to considerable 

 variation, both in the percentage of nitrogen, or flesh- 

 forming compounds, and of oil, which they contain. 



4th. That, as a rule, the English- made cakes contain 

 the largest proportions of oil, and the foreign-made cakes 

 the largest proportions of nitrogen compounds ; the one 

 being considered the best as far as the production of fat 

 is concerned, as in feeding animals the other where the 

 production of flesh is the principal object, as is the case 

 in young or growing stock. 



And, lastty, that the English or home-made cake is 

 generally more carefully made, in a better condition, and 

 more palatable to animals, than that met with in our 

 markets as coming from either of the countries named. 



In a recent paper 1 by Dr. Anderson, "On the Compo- 

 sition and Qualities of different kinds of Oil-cake," he 

 gives us results of a series of analyses conducted in his 

 laboratory, combined with some valuable statistical details 

 and practical observations, especially in reference to 

 linseed-cake. The importance of the question is at once 

 seen from the returns of u seed " and u cake " l annually 

 imported into this country, and consumed for feeding 

 purposes, by which it will be seen that within the last 

 ten years the importation of cake has increased about 

 35 per cent., while that of the linseed itself has become 



1 High. Soc. Trans., 1860, p. 234. 



