288 POULTRY CULTURE 



constitutes in the crude state about 2 per cent, of the seed. 

 It affects the nervous system as well as the circulatory system. 

 In extensive experiments carried on at the North CaroUna 

 Experiment Station it has been noted that its irritating effect 

 is quite general in the animal body, injuring the capillary 

 blood-vessels so that, at times, small hemorrhages are noted. 

 Edema of the lungs has been noted by the author in both 

 guinea-pigs and shoats dying of cotton-seed-meal poisoning. 



Irritation and inflammation with hemorrhage into the bowel 

 is common. Birds eating excessive amounts of cotton-seed 

 meal and dying from its effects are apparently due to starvation. 

 The lesions observed in hogs dying of cotton-seed-meal poison- 

 ing have not been observed in fowls. 



Flaxseed and its products are rather expensive for poultry 

 feeding. The seeds are high in protein and fat, containing 

 20.6 per cent, of the former and 2.9 per cent, of the latter. It 

 is low in carbohydrates, containing only 17.1 per cent. The 

 linseed meal (old process) contains 29.3 per cent, protein, 7.0 

 per cent, fat, and 32.7 per cent, carbohydrates. The new 

 process meal contains but 28.2 per cent, protein, 2.8 per cent, 

 fat, and40.1 per cent, carbohydrates. 



At the oil mills the flaxseed is crushed and the oil may be 

 removed by either of two processes. In the old process the 

 crushed seeds are heated and placed in sacks or between 

 cloths, and these subjected to hydrauUc pressure, which ex- 

 tracts the oil. After the extraction of the oil the residue ap- 

 pears as hard cakes, about 2 feet long, 1 foot wide, and 1 inch 

 thick. These are the linseed cakes of commerce. When 

 these cakes are broken up into pieces, varjdng in size from 

 peas to EngUsh walnuts, the product is known as nut-cake. 

 When the cakes are ground it constitutes the commercial old- 

 process oil meal. 



In the manufacture of new-process oil meal the seeds are 

 crushed and heated to a temperature of 165° F. This heated 

 mass is placed in a percolating cylinder and naphtha; a 

 volatile petroleum compound is poured over it. This perco- 

 lates through the mass and dissolves out the fat or oil. 



After percolation is completed the mass is subjected to 

 steam, which drives off the naphtha. The meal is now trans- 



