' 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
DEPARTMENT BULLETIN No. 1471 
Washington, D. C. 
March, 1927 
OIL CONTENT OF FLAXSEED, WITH COMPARISONS OF TESTS FOR 
DETERMINING OIL CONTENT 
By D. A. Coleman and H. C. Fellows, Chemical Research Laboratory, Grain 
Division, Bureau of Agricultural Economics 
CONTENTS 
Page 
Production and consumption of flax- 
seed in the United States 1 
World production and trade in flax- 
seed 3 
Principal markets for flaxseed in the 
United States 3 
Classes of flaxseed found in the 
trade 3 
Oil content of flaxseed by classes 3 
Conditions which cause oil content 
of flaxseed to vary 8 
Climatic conditions 8 
Oil content of flaxseed of differ- 
ent varieties 9 
Physical tests for determining oil 
content of flaxseed 10 
Relation between test weight per 
bushel and oil content 11 
Relation between moisture con- 
tent and oil content 13 
Relation between damaged flax- 
seed and oil content of sample, 14 
Page 
Physical tests, etc. — Continued. 
Oil content of foreign seeds 
found in flaxseed and their in- 
fluence upon oil content of 
car lots of flaxseed __ 16 
Relation between color of flax- 
seed and quantity of oil 19 
Relation between size of flaxseed 
and oil content of the seed 20 
Inspection and grading of flaxseeds 21 
Foreign flaxseed 21 
Domestic flaxseed 22 
Relation between numerical grade of 
domestic flaxseed and oil content 
of the sample 22 
Development of a simple, rapid test 
for determining oil content of 
flaxseed 24 
Description of test 26 
Special points for consideration 
in making the optical test 31 
Summary 33 
Literature cited 33 
PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF FLAXSEED IN THE UNITED 
STATES 
In this country flax is grown almost wholly for its seed. On this 
basis, it ranks seventh in acreage and eighth in value among the 
grain crops. It is exceeded in acreage and in monetary value by 
corn, wheat, oats, barley, rye, and the grain sorghums. 
The seed flax crop of the United States is grown in the western 
north central division. North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, 
and Minnesota produce 95 per cent of the total crop. Kansas, Iowa, 
Missouri, Nebraska, with limited acreage, come next in relative 
importance in flaxseed production. Colorado, Idaho, and Oregon 
produce some flaxseed, although in such small quantities that sta- 
tistics on their production are usually lacking. Some seed may 
also be expected from. the fiber flax regions of Michigan and Oregon. 
Over half the seed flax crop is grown in North Dakota. 
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