THE OIL CONTEXT OF FLAXSEED- 
13 
than samples weighing less than this, but, on the other hand, it is 
pointed out that the minimum oil content in samples of these test 
weights is lower than the samples of lesser weights. 
Objection to these deductions relative to test weight as an index of 
oil content can be entertained on the grounds that comparisons were 
made with samples of different amounts of moisture. Therefore 
samples were chosen witli the same moisture content but varying in 
test weight per bushel. The average moisture chosen was 7.5, 8.5. 
9.5, and 10 per cent. The data showing the results of this compari- 
son are given in Table 9. The same results were found as before, 
namely, that test weight per bushel and oil content have no close 
positive relationship, at least not until the moisture content of the 
sample is rather high. 
Table 9. — Influence of moisture and test ireight on the oil content of flaxseed, 
crop ijear J 9.21 * 
Num- 
ber of 
sam- 
ples 
Mois- 
ture 
range 
Aver- 
age 
mois- 
ture 
Range in pounds in test weight per bushel -' 
43 to 
43.99 
44 to 
44.99 
45 to : 46 to 
45.99 | 46.99 
47 to 
47.99 
48 to 
48.99 
49 to 
49.99 
50 to 
50.99 
51 to 
51.99 
52 to 53 to 
52. 99 53. 99 
46 .. 
Per 
cent 
1-1. 99 
8-8.99 
9-9.99 
Per 
cent 
7.50 
8.50 
9.50 
10. 10 
Per 
cent 
oil 
32.00 
Per 
cent 
oil 
Per 
cent 
oil 
Per 
cent 
oil 
Per 
cent 
oil 
37.02 
35.66 
Per 
cent 
oil 
' 36.19 " 
35.75 
37.25 
Per 
cent 
oil 
36.77 
35.05 
36.42 
Per 
cent 
oil 
37.05 
36.05 
36.76 
Per 
cent 
oil 
37.85 
36.26 
36.56 
35.90 
Per Per 
cent cent 
oil oil 
37.27 ! 
188--. 
140 _ 
37.62 
~36.~81~ 
~38.~25~ 
36. 70 34. 06 
35. 32 34. 96 
65 
10-10. 99 


36.19 
34.62 
36.18 
36.14 
35. 62 35. 16 
Beginning Sept. 1. 
2 Winchester bushel, 2,150.4 cubic inches. 
In the case of cereal grains there is usually a rather close relation- 
ship between moisture and test weight per bushel but this relation- 
ship does not appear to hold with flaxseed. One possible explanation 
is that with flaxseed the reserve material, linseed oil, has a specific 
gravity close to that of water, and a reduction in the percentage of 
moisture does not materially affect the specific gravity of the 
sample. With cereal grains starch is the reserve material with a 
specific gravity of 2.5, water having a specific gravity of 1, thus a 
change in the moisture content will materially change the specific 
gravity of the sample. 
RELATION BETWEEN MOISTURE CONTENT AND OIL CONTENT 
At the present writing none of the various grain-inspection de- 
partments have moisture limitations in effect for grading flaxseed 
although the moisture content of flaxseed varies, depending upon the 
crop year, as much as 8 per cent and moisture in flaxseed may exert 
an influence in any of three different ways : 
(1) Damp or moist flaxseed is of less intrinsic value than dry flaxseed 
because dry seed contains more oil than damp seed. For each additional 1 
per cent of moisture in flaxseed over any given basic amount there will be 
a corresponding change of 1 per cent in the total oil content of the sample; 
