838 Annual Report for 1891 of the Consulting Chemist. 
detern ining features must be bome in mind. A member of the 
Society sent me, soon after my return, a sample of cheap cotton-cake 
■which ]ie had bought at 3?. Is. 6d. per ton at his station. The cake 
^vas old and full of cotton-wool, and in my opinion only fit for 
manure. However, the sender assured me that his store sheep had 
been feeding on it and seemed to be thriving. That they might 
accustom themselves to it is quite probable, but experience fully 
proves that it is highly injudicious to use such a food. 
Cotton-seed Meal. — Several samples of wlioleseed, simply ground, 
but with the oil not extracted, have been sent to me ; but in nearly 
every case the meal has been open to the objection of having a lot 
of cotton-wool left with the seed. They have generally contained 
from 20 to 22 per cent, of oil. 
Decorticated Cotton-cahc. — In No. VII. of the Journal R.A.S.E. 
(1891), I published an account of a two years' experiment on the 
comparative feeding values of decorticated and undecorticated 
cotton-cake, tlie result in each case being distinctly in favour of the 
former. I am pleased to notice that considerable attention has been 
directed to these experiments, and it is only to be regretted that, 
with its value now so fully acknowledged, the decorticated cake has 
been so hard to get. From the middle of October up to the close of 
November there was hardly any obtainable anywhere. The price of 
it, whicli at tlie beginning of the year was 6^. 10s. per ton, rose in 
October to 8/. 5s. per ton. 
Earth-nut Cake. — This cake, made from the seeds contained in the 
underground pod of AracJiis liypogea, has been suggested as a substi- 
tute for decorticated cotton-cake, especially when the price of the 
latter rises, and when supplies of it are short. The seed is grown 
largely in India, principally in the Madras Presidency. It is also 
grown in parts of Afi-ica, America, kc. The oil is expressed by the 
natives, and is used largely in the South of Europe for adulterating 
olive oil. The pressed cake is used, partly for feeding cattle in 
India, and partly for exportation. Up to the present not much has 
reached England. Its tendency to turn sour and rancid may 
militate against its success, but it is intended to make a trial with it 
at the "Woburn experimental farm. There are two kinds met with 
— the one consisting solely of the seeds, and called " decorticated "' 
cake ; the other made from the seeds and pods together, and called 
Decorticated Undecorticated 
cake cuke 
Moisture 8-10 9-80 
Oil 7-2G 6-50 
' Albuminous com])ouDcls .... 47'81 47'31 
Digestible fibre, starch, &c. . . . 25-02 10-28 
AVoody fibre 4-86 10-2fi 
" ^liiieral matter (ash) .... 6-!)5 H-85 
100 00 100 00 
' Containing nitrogen .... 7'65 7'57 
- Inchuling sand ... . 2-85 2'85 
