Pare and Mixed Linsecd-Cahes. 
17 
cake, or aracliis-cakc, as it is also called, is largely employed for 
adulterating liiisced-cake. There are two kinds — the decorti- 
cated and undecorticated cake. The former is a dirty-white 
looking cako, the latter is light-brown coloured and shows a good 
nmny husks, the; peculiar structure of which can be readily iden- 
tified with a low power under the microscope. The following 
analyses fairly represent the average composition of the decorti- 
cated and whole-seed-cake : — 
Taule VI. — Composition of Gfiouxo-NUT or Eartit-xut Cake. 
Decoiticated. 
Uudccorti- 
caled. 
9-26 
8-10 
Oil .. 
.5-58 
8-76 
* Albuminous coiiipouiuls (fiesli-forming matter) . . 
43-43 
30 -dO 
;u-39 
27-78 
5-18 
19-12 
5-16 
5-74 
100-00 
100-00 
6-95 
4- 83 
Ground-nut or earth-nut cake is made from the seed of Aracliis 
hypogcea, a pea-like plant, a native of Africa, now being extensively 
cultivated in many quarters of the globe for the sake of the sweet 
almond-like oil which is contained in its seed. The arachis or 
earth-nut partakes of the nature of the pea or bean of our own 
country, and has the singular habit of ripening its fruit or seed-pod 
underground. When the yellow flower has withered and the seed 
becomes fertilized, the bare stem of the plant grows rapidly in a 
curved manner towards the soil, which it gradually penetrates to 
a depth of several inches. In this obscure position the germ of 
the future seed grows and ripens. When mature the so-called 
•earth-nut appears as a pale yellow-coloured oblong pod, some- 
times contracted in the middle, and containing generally two 
seeds of the size of a small almond. The kernel is surrounded 
by a thin reddish-brown cuticle and is incased in a shell, which, 
in a dry state, has a wrinkled appearance, and possesses little 
feeding value, as it consists principally of woody fibre. The 
kernel is full of oil, and when fresh is as nice and sweet as an 
almond. 
Arachis-nuts or peas are considered a valuable article of food 
in the tropical parts of Africa, America, and Asia. The plant 
is grown in many parts of the globe, notably in China, Ceylon, 
VOL. IX. — S. S. C 
