590 Abstract Heport of Agricultural Discussions. 
pure linseed-cake ought to be made of nothing but piire linseed — 
practically-speaking piu-e, not absolutely pm-e ; for such seed is not to 
be found in the market. The condition of linseed as imported varies 
in reality to an enormous extent. Many oilcake dealers guarantee 
their cake as genuine, made from genuine seed as imported ; but this 
is really no guarantee whatever. I have hero a sample of linseed 
in which there is a large amount of impurity in the shape of various 
kinds of other seeds. Here is another not very pure ; and a third 
that is extremely impure. This is considered of middling quality, 
containing as it does not less than o4t per cent, of foreign seeds — 
that is, seeds that are not linseed. Well, a cake made of this seed 
may be gemiine, or made of seed " genuine as imported," but it is 
certainly not a pure cake, and the manufacturer who stamps such a 
cake as pure does not deal honestly with his customers. True, he 
might find a loophole in terming it genuine linseed ; because the 
question might be raised what is genuine linseed ; but when cake is 
termed '• pure," it ought to be made of seed which, like many samples 
of linseed, more especially the Bombay linseed, some of the Alex- 
andrian, or the better descriptions of ]?etersburgh linseed, contains, 
comparatively speaking, a trifling quantity of foreign seeds ; and 
when a cake is made of very dirty linseed, it certainly cannot be 
called pure linseed, 
A mere inspection of this sample will show that it is in reality a 
good pure linseed : it bears not its stamp in vain ; whereas, this other, 
which is likewise stamped " pui'e," exhibits siich a large proportion 
of other seeds, that you will find at once it cannot be a pui-e cake. I 
have taken the trouble to procure specimens of linseed from various 
quarters, more especially from Hull, for examination ; and as it may be 
interesting to the members of the Society to have some idea of the 
proportions of impurities which they contain, I will read the list. 
Bombay linseed, in one sample, gives 4^ per cent. ; the finest Bombay 
that ever came under my notice contained IJ or barely 2 per cent. 
Blacky Sea linseed, 20 j^er cent. ; a second sample, 12 per cent. 
Odessa linseed, 12^ per cent. ; medium Eiga seed, 35 per cent. ; 
Morshanski linseed, 7 per cent. Fine Black Sea, imported December, 
18G1, and sold as fine Black Sea, 19 per cent. Another sample, 
landed in 1862, and considered of good average quality, also con- 
tained 19 per cent. Fine Petcrsburgh, 3 per cent. ; Petersbiirgh 
KijetF (common), 41 per cent. ; a second quality 43^ per cent. Eiga 
crushing, consisting of average quality, and shipped from that port, 
49i per cent. ; another sample, imported 1862, 42 per cent. Petcrs- 
burgh EijeS" (common), of which a large quantity finds its way to Hull 
and other ports, 70 per cent. So that there are actually samples of 
linseed sold which contain only 30 per cent, of pm"o linseed and 70 
per cent, of impurities. Now no one who looks over this list, and 
these arc samples taken indiscriminately, can help being astonished at 
the amount of impurities whicli are cojitained in seed " genuine as 
imported." The fact is, that the seed frequently gets adulterated 
before it is landed in England. As soon as it reaches the hands of 
the Greek merchants it undergoes the adulterating process. Fine 
