28 



Linseed Grown in Scotland. [april, 



The seed of the crops from which the samples of seed were 

 obtained was sown broadcast either by hand or by machine at 

 the rate of 126 to 140 lb. per acre in loamy soils that varied 

 from light to heavy, and ranged in altitude from 100 to 560 ft . 

 above sea level. The place of the crop in the rotation was in 

 the large majority of cases after grass or grain stubble, and the 

 manure applied consisted of 1 cwt. of sulphate of ammonia, 

 with the addition in some casss of 2 to 3 cwt. of superphosphate 

 of lime. All the seed was sown in the month of April and the 

 crop harvested in August. Labour difficulties prevented the 

 crop being harvested at the proper time in every case, with the 

 result that on some of the farms the crop had gone a little 

 beyond the required stage for fibre production at the time of 

 harvesting. 



The samples of seed received for analysis were of two kinds. 

 The first represented linseed cleaned- as far as it would be 

 possible with the usual appliances that the farmer has at his 

 disposal on the farm. A cursory examination of these samples 

 showed that they varied greatly amongst themselves in the 

 number of weed seeds they contained, and these on determina- 

 tion in the laboratory were found to make up from 2 to 14 per 

 cent, by weight of the different samples, and to consist chiefly 

 of Polygonum Persicaria (Redshanks), with dock, charlock, 

 spurrey, and in cases a few Italian rye-grass seeds. 



The following table gives the average percentage composition 

 of 20 samples grown on different farms in Fife, together with 

 the composition of the samples containing the minimum and 

 maximum percentage of oil respectively : — 



Table I. 





Average of 

 twenty 

 Samples. 



Sample contain- 

 ing minimum 

 Percentage of 

 Oil. 



Sample contain- 

 ing maximum 

 Percentage of 

 Oil. 



Moisture 



12-35 



12*40 



12-96 



Oil 



32'49 



27-50 



37*50 



Albuminoids 



17-78 



17-12 



18-06 



Fibre 



7*43 



9-00 



6-50 



Ash 



4-12 



3*4° 



374 



Soluble 









carbohydrates . . 



25-83 



30*58 



21 -24 



The wide variation in the oil content shown in the table is 

 explained mainly by the presence, in different percentages in 

 the different samples, of the weed seeds. A laboratory test 

 was made as to the effect of the removal of these wied seeds 



