370 Quarterly Reports of the Chemical Committee.^ 1883. 
of head-corn, weighing 54 lbs. per bushel, and 2 to 5 bushels of 
tail-barley, weighing from 41 to 47 lbs. per bushel, and about 
1:1 tons to 2 tons of straw. 
The oats in Warren-field yielded from GO to 78 bushels on 
the several plots, weighing 36 to 39 lbs. per bushel, and 1^ tons 
to 2 tons 6 cwts. of straw per acre. 
The rotation roots produced from 20 to 23 tons of clean 
topped and tailed swedes per acre, and 2^ to 3 tons of tops.* 
XIII, — Quarterly Reports of the Chemical Committee, 1883. 
March, 1883. 
Dr. VoelCKER reported the following cases : — 
1. Mr. Obed Hosegood, Jun., Dillington Farm, Ilminster, 
requested me to analyse a sample of rape-cake which he had 
bought at 4/. 10s., and which he suspected to contain something 
very poisonous, for on giving about 15 lbs. of the rape-cake to 
thirteen good large yearling bullocks at 7*30 in the morning, 
the herdsman noticed they did not eat any hay or roots after 
having eaten the cake, and at one o'clock most of them were 
lying down, and appeared in great pain. Before night three of 
them died, the rest got over the attack. The bullocks were 
perfectly well in the morning before eating the rape-cake. 
The following is the analysis and report on this case : — 
Moisture ^ 11-39 
Oil 7-13 
*Albuminous compounds (Hesli-forming matters) .. 30*87 
Mucilage, sugar, and digestible fibre 28 "94 
Woody fibre (cellulose) 11 "GG 
•fMineral matter (asb) 10 • 01 
100-00 
* Containing nitrogen 4-94 
t Including sand 4 • 55 
Dear Sir, — The sample which you sent me contains a good deal of wild! 
mustard, and in my judgment is a manure rape-cake and not a feeding rape- 
cake. Such a cake should not be used tor feeding purposes, for there can be 
no doubt that it will act as an irritant poison when eaten by stock in 
considerable quantities. — Yours faithful! j', Augustus Yoelckeb, 
In reply to further inquiries Mr. Hosegood wrote on the 13th 
of January, 1883 : — 
I received the analysis of rape-cake safely, but do not wish it referred to 
any more, as the maker is, I think, a straightforward man, and he says he 
bought the seed and was not aware there was so much wild mustard-seed 
with it, and has paid damages when he saw your analysis. 
* For details of the Experiments at Woburn during the past year, see 
Dr. Voelclcer's Report, commencing on p. 337.— Edit. 
