30 
BULLETIN 1471, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 
Table 21. — Comparison of oil content of 120 samples of flaxseed as determined 
1)1/ the method adopted by the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists 
and as determined by the proposed optical method 
Sample No. 
Per cent 
oil ether 
extraction 
method 
Per cent 
oil 
optical 
method 
Differ- 
ence i 
Sample No. 
Per cent 
oil ether 
extraction 
method 
Per cent 
oil 
optical 
method 
Differ- 
ence 1 
1 
37.93 
40.05 
36.04 
39.05 
36.11 
36.54 
38.75 
39.14 
38.45 
37.08 
38.29 
37.34 
39.10 
36.61 
40.69 
37.74 
37.65 
38.53 
36.08 
39.91 
39.99 
40.32 
37.94 
35.28 
36.71 
38.44 
37.72 
37.92 
40.64 
29.60 
38.30 
36.48 
39.27 
40.14 
38.07 
39.24 
37.42 
36.84 
38.08 
37.93 
39.75 
38.89 
39.82 
37.65 
38.62 
38.77 
38.85 
39.28 
37.58 
38.05 
38.37 
37.00 
38.45 
37.29 
38.48 
38.56 
37.35 
37.16 
36.94 
37.30 
37.70 
40.10 
35.78 
38.75 
35.92 
36.70 
38.87 
38.89 
38.14 
37.00 
38.09 
37.22 
39.03 
36.60 
40.59 
37.60 
37.77 
38.27 
36.17 
39.79 
39.68 
40.26 
37.99 
35.55 
36.98 
38.18 
37.54 
37.91 
40.48 
29.86 
38.24 
36.41 
39.28 
39.81 
37.84 
39.32 
37.36 
36.64 
37.92 
37.96 
39.88 
39.01 
39. 74 
37.64 
38.74 
38.64 
38.78 
39.17 
37.47 
38.11 
38.33 
37. 10 
38.26 
37.32 
38.57 
38.24 
37.49 
37.15 
37.10 
37.20 
Per cent 
-0.23 
+.05 
-.26 
-.30 
-.19 
+.16 
+.12 
-.25 
-.31 
-.08 
-.20 
-.12 
-.07 
-.01 
-.10 
-.14 
+.12 
-.26 
+.09 
-.12 
-.31 
-.06 
+.05 
+.27 
+.27 
-.26 
-.18 
-.01 
-.16 
+.26 
-.06 
-.07 
+.01 
-.33 
-.23 
+.08 
-.06 
-.20 
-.16 
+.03 
+.13 
+.12 
-.08 
-.01 
+.12 
-.13 
-.07 
-.11 
-.11 
+.06 
-.04 
+.10 
-.19 
+.03 
+.09 
-.32 
+.14 
-.01 
+.16 
-.10 
61.... 
41.71 
41.10 
40.92 
43.18 
42.23 
43.55 
37. 65 
40.33 
38.52 
35.65 
37.36 
38.64 
38.15 
39.91 
39.47 
38.71 
39.67 
37.55 
39.04 
38.90 
37.35 
39.75 
38.66 
40.50 
39.94 
40.25 
39.09 
39.15 
40.85 
36.89 
35.44 
37.26 
35.23 
38.36 
35.53 
36.64 
36.40 
35.95 
40.95 
38.88 
37.10 
36.55 
35.77 
37.48 
38.99 
37.75 
39.78 
39.07 
38.87 
38.62 
38.68 
38.57 
38.84 
38.59 
39.92 
39.01 
41.32 
41.37 
40.01 
39.85 
41.92 
40.87 
40.83 
43.28 
42.12 
43.56 
37.72 
40.28 
38.61 
35.81 
37.29 
38.56 
38.00 
39.88 
39.16 
38.52 
39.63 
37.50 
39.20 
38. 75 
37.32 
39.72 
38.67 
40.33 
39.70 
40.22 
39.12 
38.90 
40.62 
36.91 
35.55 
37.29 
35.16 
38.30 
35.42 
36.66 
36.29 
36.08 
40.85 
38.90 
37.30 
36.47 
35.88 
37.58 
38.90 
37.75 
39.70 
39.15 
39.00 
38.63 
38.52 
38.52 
38.70 
38.50 
39.88 
38.98 
41.27 
41.23 
39.85 
39.85 
Per cent 
+0.21 
2 
62.... 
—.23 
3. 
63... 
—.09 
4__ 
64 
+.10 
5 
65 
— . 11 
6. 
66. 
+.01 
+.07 
7. 
67 
8 
68 
—.05 
9 
69 
+.09 
10 
70 
71.. 
+.16 
11 
—.07 
12 ._ 
72 
-.08 
13..- 
73 
-.15 
14 
74 
75.. 
—.03 
15.. 
-.31 
16. _. 
76 
-.19 
17... 
77 
-.04 
18 
78 
-.05 
19 
79 
+.16 
20.. 
80 
-. 15 
21 
81 
-.03 
22 
82 
-.03 
23 
83 - 
+.01 
24 
84. 
-.17 
25... 
85. 
-.24 
26... 
86... 
-.03 
27 
87 
+.03 
28 
88.. 
-.25 
29 
89 
-.23 
30.. . 
90... 
+.02 
31 
91 
+.11 
32 
92 
+.03 
33 
93 
-.07 
34. 
94 . 
-.06 
35... 
95 
-.11 
36 
96 
+.02 
37. 
97 . 
-.11 
38.... 
98 . 
+.13 
39 
99.-- 
-.10 
40 
100 
+.02 
41 
101.. 
+.20 
42... 
102... 
-.08 
43 
103.. 
+ 12 
44 
104 
+.10 
45 . 
105 
-.09 
46.. 
106 
.00 
47 
107- 
-.08 
48 
108 
+.08 
49 
109 
+.13 
50 
110 
+.01 
51... 
111.. 
-.16 
52 
112.. 
-.05 
53 
113. 
-.14 
54 
114 
-.09 
55 
115 
-.04 
56... 
116- 
-.03 
57 
117. 
-.05 
58 
118 
-.14 
59.. 
119 
-.16 
60... 
120 
.00 
1 Plus sign indicates greater percentage by optical method. Minus sign indicates greater percentage by 
ether-extract method. 
A study of this table shows that the results of 45.8 per cent of the 
samples tested by the optical method varied less than 0.1 per cent 
from the results secured by the method of the Association of Official 
Agricultural Chemists; 35 per cent of the results varied 0.1 to 0.19 
per cent; 14.2 per cent varied 0.2 to 0.29; and only 5 per cent 
