THE FOOD WE GIVE. 
601 
High. Soc. (vol. 1866, p. 187; vol. 1860_, p. 489). The first 
contains the Professor’s researches upon the adulterations of 
linseed cake^ the second upon the impurities contained in 
linseed. Both these papers are well worthy of the reader’s 
careful study. 
To a varying extent the seed imported abounds with 
impurities. Some samples examined by the Professor con¬ 
tained of foreign matters per cent.^— 
Irish . 
. 
. 1-60 
St. Petersburg (2 spec.) 
. 4-17 
15*8 
Munich 
. 28-18 
Black Sea . 
. 10-10 
Calcutta (3 spec). 
• 
. 5-78 
19-68 
Bombay (2 spec.) 
• 
. 3-94 
6-32 
The impurities consisted generally of small seeds, such as 
wild mustard, various species of polygonum, and many other 
seeds which, without growing tiiem, it would be impossible 
to recognise. In the Indian samples the seed called Indian 
rape was found. 
The specimen of nearly pure Irish linseed was composed 
as follows, and the cake produced from it (supposing the seed 
had been quite pure) would be per 
cent, as given 
in the third 
column of the following table : 
Seed. 
Cake. 
Water. 
. 5-70 
11-87 
Oil. 
. 34-77 
11-67 
Albuminous compounds . 
. 20-06 
25-46 
Mucilage, gum, &c. 
. 29-22 
40-16 
Pibre . 
. 5-55 
6-34 
Ash. 
. 4-70 
4-50 
100-00 
100-00 
Nitrogen. 
. 3-21 
4*30 
The ash contains: 
Phosphate ..... 
. 1-40 
Phosphoric acid combined with alkalies 
. 1-09 
Sand . . 
. 0-80 
The adulterations of the linseed cake of commerce are very 
great, and they are not easy of detection by the agriculturist. 
The Professor warns those in whose service he so success¬ 
fully labours, that a cake should be hard and difficult to 
break, its colour not too pale. If it is soft and splits easily, 
it is almost certain to be adulterated; its pale colour, even if 
hard, is suspicious. A genuine oilcake, of the best quality., 
should contain II to 13 per cent, of oil, and from 26 to 28 
