494 



On the Composition of Linseed Oil- Cake, 



Table 12. — Composition in 100 parts of the Ash of Rape-Cake (Spec. 1) : — 



Sand and Silica 13-07 



Phosphoric Acid 32-70 



Carbonic Acid . . . . . 2 '15 



Sulphuric Acid . . . . . 1-62 



Lime 8 62 



Magnesia . . . . . .14*75 



Oxide of Iron 4-50 



Potash 21-90 



Soda — 



Chloride of Potassium . . . . -17 



Chloride of Sodium .... *46 



100-00 



The ash of rape-cake is therefore in every respect the counter- 

 part to that of linseed-cake. A ton of the cake will contain 

 128 lbs. of mineral matters, one-third of which is phosphoric acid, 

 one-fifth potash, and one-seventh magnesia. Even although, as 

 in the second specimen, the total quantity of ash should be 

 greater, the above numbers will hold good, the excess being sand. 

 Only one specimen of rape-seed has been examined : it was the 

 seed of dwarf-rape, and obtained from Messrs. Gibbs. 



Analysis of Rape-Seed : — 





NITROGEN. 











1st 

 Analysis. 



2nd 

 Analysis. 



Mean. 



Oil. 



Water. 



Ash. 





4-17 



4-26 



4-21 



37-84 



6-44 



3-31 



Beans and Peas. 



The want of certain data as to the composition of even the 

 commonest agricultural produce is constantly felt by all those 

 who are engaged in investigating the principles of agriculture, 

 and every trustworthy analysis will therefore be welcomed as an 

 addition to our stock of knowledge. Such analyses, though they 

 may serve no immediate purpose, must greatly smooth the way 

 for those experimenters who, having chalked out for themselves 

 a path of inquiry sufficiently arduous in itself, are anxious to 

 deviate as little as possible into secondary or collateral subjects 

 of research. 



As a contribution to the scientific statistics of agriculture, I 

 offer a few analyses of peas and beans, which will serve to show 

 the average composition of these grains, so far as the albuminous 

 principles and fatty matters are concerned. 



The specimens were those of which the ash analysis is given 

 in a former number of this Journal (vol. ix. part 1) ; and although 



