Quarterly Report of the Chemical Committee, March, 1891. 159 
4. Mr. J. C. Beall, of Bletsoe Park, Bedford, sent on December 
10, 1890, a sample of soot which he had bought as genuine and free 
from any admixture — price ios. per ton carriage paid. The delivery 
appearing unusually heavy and in wet condition, Mr. Beall sent a 
sample for analysis. The following analysis and report was returned 
on December 13 : 
Moisture 
^ Organic matter and ammonia salts 
Oxide of iron, alumina 
Carbonate of lime, &c. . 
Insoluble siliceous matter 
' Containing nitrogen 
equal to ammonia 
]670\ 
30-72 
26-46 
9-65 
16-47] 
10000 
1-18 
1-43 
The sample consists largely of cinders, flue scrapings, &c., and contains but 
little valuable soot. It is not worth anything like the price charged. 
Subsequently Mr. Beall wrote that, as he had been given a very 
considerable reduction, he was not willing to mention the vendor's 
name. The amount of this reduction was 12s. 6d. per ton. 
5. Mr. J. Pratt, of Lickhill Farm, Stourport, sent on January 
29, 1891, a sample of a 2-ton lot of cake, which he said was sold 
to him as "pure," and to contain 1 1 to 12 per cent, of oil, the 
price being 8?. 7s. 6d. per ton, carriage paid. The following analysis 
and report was returned on February 4 : 
Moisture 14-25\ 
Oil . . 11-97 
* Albuminous compounds (flesh-forming matters) . 21-06 -inr..r)r. 
Mucilage, sugar, and digestible fibre . . . Sl-.'jSr 
Woody fibre (cellulose) 12-57 
^ Mineral matter (ash) ...... 8-60/ 
' Containing nitrogen 3-37 
^ Including sand 4 01 
The cake, although possessing oil above the guarantee, does not contain 
this in the form of pure linseed-oil, for there are hemp, rape, earth-nut, 
spurry, and other seeds in quantity mixed with the linseed. As a conse- 
quence, the percentage of nitrogen is very low, and the fibre excessive, 
also there is 4 per cent, of sand present, and the cake is altogether a very 
impure one. 
The cake was one of Hull manufacture, and was purchased of 
an agent in Kidderminster market. Mr. Pratt added that he would 
be careful how he purchased in the future, for though the agent in- 
formed him that the cake was sold as oil-cake, he was under the 
impression at the time that he was buying linseed-cake. 
A reduction of 2/. 10s. was subsequently made. 
6. Mr. R. Neville Grenville, of Butleigh Court, Glastonbury, sent 
on February 3, 1891, a sample of linseed-cake which had been 
supplied in December to a tenant of his, by Messrs. Croad k Brown, 
