348 Quarterly Reports of the Chemical Committee, 1885. 
about 20 per cent, of soluble phosphate, and 10 to 12 insoluble. Moreover, 
it was bought from a London firm. 
" In the stage in which the matter now stands I cannot give yoxx further 
imrticulars. — Yours trulj', E. Graham. 
" Dr. J. A. Voelcker, London." 
A large number of cases have occurred in which decorticated 
cotton-cake has been sold which has been so hard-pressed as to 
be unfit for giving to stock, unless after being ground into quite 
a fine meal. In several of these cases analysis has shown that 
the decorticated cotton-cake instead of containing, as a good 
cake should, about 14 per cent of oil, has had as little as 7 or 8 
per cent. The vendors complain that on account of the value 
of the oil no expense is spared by the Americans in pressing it 
out as much as possible, and hence decorticated cotton-cake is 
year by year made harder. In one case the purchaser says, " the 
cake is so awfully hard that the cattle cannot eat it." In a 
second case, cattle and sheep which had previously been feeding 
on decorticated cotton-cake refused a new lot of cake, and five 
days later two Guernsey calves died. The stomachs were found 
much inflamed, and the cake was hard like a stone. In a third 
case several calves had died ; the cake given was found, on 
analysis, to contain only 7*83 per cent, of oil, 
December 1885. 
Dr. Voelcker reported the following cases : — - 
1. On July 17th, 1885, Mr. John Oldrin, Rushmere, near 
Lowestoft, sent a sample of linseed-cake, branded " Pure," of 
which the analysis proved to be : — 
Moisture 10-98 
Oil 11-37 
* Albuminous compounds 26-88 
Mucilage, &c 28-80 
Woody fibre 7-90 
fMiueral matter 14:-07 
100-00 
• Containing nitrogen 4-30 
■!• Including sand 7-78 
Dr. Voelcker reported it to have " a very large and objection- 
able amount of sand, besides other impurities." 
The price was 8/. 12s. 6(/. per ton. The only further infor-. 
mation that could be obtained was that the cake came from 
Hull. 
2. Mr. J. A. Goodwin, of Henhull Farm, Nantwich, sent on 
