Cottonseed Cake is one of the most valuable feeding stuffs that have come into use of late years. Its chemical composition shows it to be about equal to that of the best linseed-cake, and as its price is much lower than that of the latter, it may be fairly considered a more economical food. These remarks apply only to the shelled, or decorticated seed-cake, for the article prepared from the whole seed is of very inferior composition, and should never be employed. The use of the cake made from the whole seed has proved fatal in many instances, not from its possessing any poisonous quality, but in consequence of its hard, indigestible husk, accumulating in, and inflaming, the animal's bowels.
The composition of this cake varies somewhat. The following analysis of a sample from one of the Western States of North America, imported by Messrs. G. Seagrave and Co., of Liverpool, was made by me:—
| COMPOSITION OF DECORTICATED COTTON-SEED CAKE. | |
| Water | 8·20 |
| Oil | 10·16 |
| Albuminous, or flesh forming principles | 40·25 |
| Gum, sugar, &c. | 21·10 |
| Fibre | 9·23 |
| Ash (mineral matter) | 11·06 |
| ——— | |
| 100·00 | |
In some specimens so much as 16 per cent. of oil has been found. The purchaser of cotton-seed cake should be certain that it is not old and mouldy, which is frequently the case. The recently prepared cake has a very yellow color, which becomes fainter as the cake becomes older. Freshness is a very desirable quality in nearly every kind of cake. I have known animals to have a greater relish for, and thrive better upon, home-made linseed-cake than upon cake of foreign manufacture of superior composition, but of greater age.
Palm-nut Meal, or Cake is a very valuable fattening food. It is extremely rich in ready-formed fatty matters, but at the same time it is not very deficient in albuminous substances. Its strong flavor is rather a drawback to its use in the case of all the farm animals, except pigs. This difficulty may, however, be got over by using the cake in moderate quantities, and by combining it with other food possessed of a good flavor. Reports of practical trials made with this food appear to have almost uniformly given very favorable results. This food is only three or four years in use. The first samples that came into my hand were richer in fatty matters than those which I have recently examined. The average results of eight analyses made from 1864 to 1866 were as follows:—
| 100 PARTS CONTAINED— | |
| Water | 7·48 |
| Albuminous matters | 17·26 |
| Fatty substances | 21·59 |
| Gum, sugar, &c. | 32·14 |
| Fibre | 17·18 |
| Mineral matter | 4·35 |
| ——— | |
| 100·00 | |
This year I have not found more than 17 per cent. of fat in any sample of palm-nut cake. One specimen which I analysed for Mr. J. G. Alexander, seed merchant, of Dublin, had the following composition:—
| Water | 9·24 |
| Albuminous matters | 19·28 |
| Fatty matters | 9·36 |
| Gum, starch, fibre, &c. | 53·22 |
| Mineral matters | 8·90 |
| ——— | |
| 100·00 |
But although inferior samples are occasionally met with, I may say of palm-nut cake that on the whole it is a food which deserves to be largely used, and which at its present price is the most economical source of fat. To milch-cows and fattening cattle about 3 lbs. per diem may be given; ¼ lb. will be sufficient for young sheep, whilst pigs may be very liberally supplied with this food.