346 Annnal Beporl for 1888 of the Consulting Chemist. 
XVIII. — Annual Eejoort for 1888 of the Consulting Chemist. 
By Dr. J. Augustus Voelcker, B.A., B.Sc 
In tlie year 1888, 1,670 samples were sent by members of 
the Society for examination in the ordinary course, 24 by 
members for purposes of special investigation, 23 in connection 
with local agricultural societies, and 36 for the Woburn experi- 
ments — making a total of 1,653, as against 1,615 in 1887. Of 
these, 628 were of linseed- and cotton-cakes, over 450 being 
linseed-cakes. A glance at the list appended to this report will 
show the small extent to which rape-cake is now used as a feeding 
material — indeed, its relatively high price and the frequent occur- 
rence in it of mustard-seed and earthy material give no encourage- 
ment to its use ; whilst even as manure I cannot but regard it 
as very expensive, seeing how difficult it is to get samples with- 
out a great deal of sand and dirt. The year, especially the 
latter end of it, has been marked by a great increase in the price 
of linseed- and cotton-cakes, owing to the raising of freights. 
Still, this has not diminished the extent to which they have been 
used, stock-keepers evidently appreciating tke benefits of cake- 
feeding as supplementary to the use of home produce. Their 
experience is also borne out by the experiments conducted at 
Woburn during the year, which are recorded in the Journal. 
Linseed-calie. — A general increase in the price of cakes has 
led in too many cases, I fear, to the purchase of those the sole 
recommendation of which is that they are offered at a lower 
figure than others. These cakes are scattered throughout the 
country under the misleading name of " Oil-cake," and are 
stated to be more useful at their price than pure cakes, much to 
the detriment of honest manufacturers of pure cake, and, I am 
convinced, to the disadvantage of the farmer. That they are better 
worth the money to the manufacturer I have no doubt, seeing 
he is able to use seed just as it comes in, without going to the 
trouble of cleaning it ; and he need not be particular as to what 
else finds its way in — this being abundantly exemplified in the 
Quarterly lleports of the Chemical Committee of this Society. 
As I have pointed out over and over again, as soon as ad- 
mixture of any kind is permitted, there is no limit to its extent 
ornature, and security lies only in insisting on having jJMre cake. 
There is not even the excuse which margarine has, that the 
material is wholesome, for seeds found in the so-called " oil- 
cakes " are very frequently of decidedly injurious character. 
To call by the name linseed many cakes such as I have ex- 
amined is nothing short of a libel on this valuable seed. At the 
same time there has been a remarkable increase in the number 
