200 ANNUAL EEPORTS OF THE DEPAETMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



composition of the wheat but not the yield, while application when 

 the plant is 3 to 4 inches high affects the yield but not the compo- 

 sition of the w^heat. 



Investigation has shown that the protein-s of buckwheat flour con- 

 tain a high percentage of basic amino acids, an important fact in 

 estimating the value of buckw^heat as a substitute for wheat. 



The results of the study of some of the proteins of the peanut have 

 been published, and in cooperation with the Bureau of Animal In- 

 dustry it has been shown that peanut meal is a valuable feed for dairy 

 cows. Farmers' Bulletin 751 on Peanut Oil has been issued jointly 

 with the Bureau of Plant Industry. 



The study of kafirin, an alcohol-soluble protein of kafir, has been 

 published. The chemical and physical properties of the different 

 parts of the kafir kernel have been studied. The germ and endo- 

 sperm closely resemble those of corn. The germ contains oil. The 

 bran, how^ever, differs from that of corn in having a very high ether 

 extract due to the presence of waxy material. These results indicate 

 that it might be possible to obtain by milling kafir, products analo- 

 gous to the commercial corn products. 



Studies upon the occurrence of manganese in ChrysanthemuTn 

 cinerariae folium, upon the effect of boron on plant growth, upon 

 gingerol^ the pungent principle of ginger, and paradol, the pungent 

 principle of grains of paradise, have been completed, and others on 

 the composition of the bark of the Viburnums, of coca leaves, of 

 Pterocarpus w'ood and of Chaulmoogra seeds are in progress. 



A preliminary study of the volatile oil of Chinese mustard, Bras- 

 sica juneea, and Japanese mustard, Brassica cernua, indicates that 

 the oils are mixtures containing only in part allylisothiocyanate. 

 The oil of Brassica camjyestris annua sativa chinensis, an adulterant 

 of mustard, proved to be crotonylisothiocyanate, an oil without mus- 

 tard qualities. Since the plant grows very vigorously, it is planned, 

 in cooperation with the Bureau of Plant Industry, to utilize it either 

 for greens and salads or for stock feed. The seeds yield over 40 

 per cent of fatty oil with the general characteristics of rape oil. 



A study of Piper hredemeyeri, an adulterant of matico. Piper 

 angustifoliiim, showed that the volatile oil like that of Piper mnn- 

 doni contains dillapiol and is free from asaron obtained from genuine 

 matico and from the camphor obtained from Piper angustifolium. 

 var. Ossarmm and Piper camphoriferum. 



Of the saponins of the yucca and agave species studied, all have 

 been found to yield the same sapogenin when hydrolyzed. Upon 

 hydrolysis the saponins of Yucca fJamentosa, Y. glaiica ( Y. angusfl- 

 folia). Agave lecheguilla and probably radiosa yield glucose, while 

 that from .1. lecheguilla also yields galactose and that from Y. fla- 

 mentosa apparently glucoronic acid. Some of the results have been 

 published. 



The studies upon cotton reported last year have been continued and 

 extended to other genera of Hihisceae, especially to wild cotton, 

 Tkurheria. 



Man}^ common foods of vegetable origin have been examined for 

 oxalic acid. 



Cereals — four. — A bulletin upon the by-products of rice mills is 

 in press. It gives data which should enable chemists to determine 



