BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY. 219 



prospect that in time a new industry ntili/ln^- corncobs, a by-prorl- 

 uct heretofore hirgely wasted, nui}' be established. As sucli an in- 

 dustry Avonhl make xylose available in large quantities, studies on 

 the utilization of this hitherto rare sugar have been undertaken. 

 A relatively simple process for its conversion into gulonic lactone, 

 which niigiit be useful connnercially, has been patented and pul)- 

 lished. Moreover, a large series of bacteria has been found capa- 

 ble of fermenting xylose, to form certain products which may be of 

 value industrially. 



Data on the occurrence of the raie ^ugar melezitose in a manna 

 from the Douglas fir and on the crystallography and optical prop- 

 erties of three aldopentoses have been published. Papers upon the 

 crvstallograi)hic pi-operties of melezitose, upon the amide of c/.-d- 

 mannoheptonic acid, and upon the rotatory powers of tlie amides of 

 several a-hydroxy acids of the sugar group are in press. 



The distribution of pure sugars, especially for use in bacteriologi- 

 cal research. Avas more extensive this year than heretofore, varying 

 amounts of 19 different pure sugars having been sent out. 



The curtailment of distilling and brcAving together with the war- 

 time restrictions placed upon the consumption of sugar, seems to 

 have stimulated the production of barley sugar or maltose, as well 

 ;is that of maltose sirup. Since the extension of the uses of such 

 material is a matter of some interest to the producer of barley, prac- 

 tical studies on the use of maltose sirup in candy manufacture 

 have been undertaken. Preliminary results indicate that perhaps 

 large quantities of maltose sirup can be enq:)loyed in this way. 



The project on the production of a uniform cane sirup that will 

 neither ferment nor crystallize, which had reached such a stage that 

 the problem was in the nuiin how to introduce and cau.se to l)e used 

 the processes demised in the bureau, has received a setback because 

 yeast, necessary in these processes, is now obtainable only with dif- 

 iiculty. A search for substitutes for yeast has therefore been made, 

 and preliminary results justify the hope that certain molds which 

 can be grown easily and cheaply may form sufficient of the enzynio 

 invertase to make it possible to use them instead, of yeast for this 

 particular purpose. 



The bureau has cooperated with the Louisiana State Experiment 

 Station in the study of the deterioration of raw sugars caused by 

 the action of molds. In the preparation of cellulose acetates and 

 their study, undertaken for the Bureau of Aircraft Production, 

 some new cellulose compounds were prepared. This woi-k has been 

 closed. 



FATS AND OILS. 



Department Bulletin 7G9, "The Production and Conservation of 

 Fats and Oils in the United States," giving a digest of the data 

 collected during 1917 and 1918 by the U. S. Food Administration 

 and the Bureau of Chemistry, was issued. This is perhaps the first 

 complete and critical survey of the fat and oil industry and traffic 

 of any country, and as a consequence the demand for the bulletin 

 has been very great. A supplement containing the revised statistics 

 up to January, 1919, is now in press. Hereafter the Bureau of the 

 Census will collect the production, importation, and exportation 

 figures on fats and oils, and issue them in quarterly reports. 



