240 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



OTHER FERMENTATIONS. 



Retting of Flax: A vei-y little lia& been done this spring in attempt- 

 ing to isolate bacteria which will hasten the retting of flax. As Mich- 

 igan is the first fiber flax state in the Union it seems no more than logi- 

 cal that the microbiological problems involved in the retting of this 

 fiber plant be taken up in earnest at this station. 



Vinegar: During the fiscal j^ear 1918-1919 there were numerous re- 

 quests for analyses of vinegar and for information as to various phases 

 in its manufacture. Many samples of vinegar were received for anal- 

 ysis the quality of the majority of which was very poor. Several articles 

 dealing with home vinegar making and its troubles published in the 

 Quarterly Bulletin served to increase the requests for information and 

 analyses, and very frequently the necessity arose for lengthy explana- 

 tions of the fundamentals of the vinegar fermentation in order to ac- 

 quaint the inquirer with the part that certain microbes play in this 

 process. In February, 1920, the vinegar bulletin came from the press 

 and has served quite satisfactorily in answering the frequent questions. 

 This bulletin will be found elsewhere in this report. 



Fifty-nine requests for vinegar cultures were received during the past 

 year, 4G of wliich were for yeast and 48 for vinegar bacteria cultures 

 making 91 cultures in all. 



NUMBER OF VINEGAR CULTURES SENT OUT FROM JULY 1, 1919, TO JUNE 30, 1920. 



As a result of one of the articles on vinegar in tlie Quarterly Bulletin 

 being published in the "American Fruit Grower" requests for pure cul- 

 tures came in from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Ma.ssachusetts, 

 IMississippi, New Hami)shne, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, renn.sjl- 

 vania, AVashington, and Wisconsin. 



The cultures sent to Mississipi)i were ordered by a commercial firm 

 for the pui'ijose of making vinegar from sweet potatoes, our cultures 

 being recommended to tliem by tlie IVrississippi Agricultural College. 

 At least six culluies have been .sent out for making honey vinegar. The 

 requests for the.se cultures come in through the Entomological depart- 

 ment. Also last fall a circular letter was sent to eacli county agent 

 olfering gratis a jiui-e culture each of the yeast and vinegar bacteria 



