352 Quarterly Report of the Chemical Committee, June, 1892 . 
Society has now succeeded at length in getting the use of the term 
confined to jmre linseed-cake. 
In the only case between the Society and a manufacturer brought 
to a definite issue in the Courts (Kidd v. 11. A. S. E., reported in 
the Journal for 1872, Vol. VIII. pp. 471-68.5), Mr. Justice Black- 
burn expressed a very decided opinion that to sell under the name 
of “ linseed-cake ” any cake not made entirely from linseed was to 
perpetrate a fraud ; and the result of that action was that at a 
meeting of the seed-crushers and cake merchants of Hull, held in 
August, 1872, a resolution was passed, “That no other cakes than 
pure linseed-cakes shall be sold or described as ‘ linseed-cakes.’ ” 
"Within the last few years the Society has given a definition of 
what linseed-cake should be, and this has been generally accepted 
by the trade ; so much so, that several firms openly state their 
willingness to give a guarantee in accordance with the Society’s 
definition. 
The passing of the Merchandise Marks Act has also helped the 
action of the Society, in that, although neither feeding-stuffs for 
cattle nor manures have been definitely brought under it, yet a 
general understanding among manufacturers and traders in such 
articles has been arrived at as to what shall be conveyed by certain 
definable terms, such as linseed-cake, dissolved bones, <fcc., these 
meanings being practically those laid down by the Royal Agricultural 
Society. Linseed-cake, for instance, now means pure linseed-cake, 
and cakes not conforming to this description arc known by the 
general term “oil-cake.” 
The general feeling of the Chemical Committee on the matter is 
that there are ample means at the present time for the purchaser to 
protect himself against fraud if he will but avail himself of the 
advantages which are ofi'ered to him. 
INlanufacturers and traders of good repute are, as a general rule, 
quite willing to give guarantees of the materials that they sell, and 
if purchasers insisted upon having these there would be but little 
difficulty. 
"Where adulteration does take place, it is almost invariably when 
purchasers do not obtain written guarantees as to the materials they 
buy, and when it is known that they take no steps to have their 
purchases analysed. 
Even the giving of a guarantee of analysis would not in itself 
constitute a security that the purchaser received his “ money’s 
worth,” for a guaranteed analysis may be given and yet the material 
be extravagantly dear. Unless the purchaser have the material 
analysed, and receive the opinion of a competent person upon it, he 
might still be defrauded as much as before. 
The Chemical Committee are of opinion that the existing organi- 
sations of agricultural societies which have analytical chemists 
attached to them affbx’d ample security for the purchaser who will 
avail himself of the advantages such societies afi'ord, and that legis- 
lation is not likely to benefit greatly those who will not protect 
themselves. 
