24 EXPERIMENT STATION RECOED. 



" Pisifera and graciUnux have kernels too small and too hard to work to be of 

 marketable value. Communis and sertvpernigra yield oils appreciated by the 

 natives, and the fruit of pisifera is eaten fresh or cooked. The fat of repanda 

 causes headache and sickness. The chemical A'alues agree with those of common 

 palm oils." 



In regard to soy-bean oil and its properties, G. Maepmann (Jour. Landw., 

 08 (1910), No. 3, pp. 2.'f3-250). — The author in this article discusses in a gen- 

 eral way the culture, composition, and economic importance of the soy bean and 

 the extraction of oil therefrom. He also appends the results of numerous exami- 

 nations of Chinese and European soy beans and oils, which were obtained from 

 various parts of the world. The oil content for the 1909 crop was 19 per cent, 

 and that for the 1910 crop 17.2. Unfavorable weather conditions prevailed dur- 

 ing 1910. 



A new method for examining starch, granules, W. Lenz (Apoth. Ztg., 25 

 (1910), No. 80, pp. 777, 77S, figs. 4; abs. in Ztschr. Angew. Chem., 24 (1911), No. 

 1, p. JfS). — A continuation of the work px'eviously reported (E. S. R., 21. p. 522). 



The soluble carbohydrates in asparagus roots, F. W. Mokse (Massachusetts 

 Sta. Rpt. 1910, pt. 1, pp. 135-140). — This article has been previously noted from 

 another source (E. S. R., 24, p. 509). 



The composition of malt sprouts, K. Yoshimitea (Biochem. Ztschr., 31 

 (1911), No. 3-4, pp. 221-226). — The malt sprouts used in this investigation 

 contained 92.83 per cent of dry substance, 100 parts of which contained total 

 nitrogen 3.824 parts, protein nitrogen 2.1, ammonia nitrogen a trace, nonprotein 

 nitrogen 1.724 (of which 0.367 per cent was precipitable by phosphotungstic 

 acid), total phosphoric acid 1.185, and water-soluble phosphoric acid 0.836. 



In 1 kg. of air-dried malt sprouts there were present histidin, about 0.2 gm. 

 cholin, and about 0.6 gm. betain. Arginin, vernin, and asparagin were not 

 present. 



Saccharose was not found, but maltose and invert sugar were probably 

 present. The author thinks that saccharose is possibly produced from maltose 

 and is again inverted by a secondary process. 



Meliatine, a new glucosid from the buck bean, M. Beidel (Compt. Rend. 

 Acad. Sci. [Paris], 152 (1911), No. 24, i)p. 1694-1696) .—This glucosid, which 

 was obtained from the buck bean (Menyanthes trifoUata), was found to be 

 hydrolyzable by emulsin. 



As prepared by the author it is a white inodorous crystallizable substance, 

 which is at first sweet but after some time becomes bitter. It is levorotatory. 



Changes taking place during the spoilage of tomatoes, with methods for 

 detecting spoilage in tomato products, R. F. Bacon and P. B. Dunbae ( U. S. 

 Dept. Agr., Bur. Chem. Circ. 78, pp. 15). — As good tomato ketchups or other 

 tomato products are characterized by the presence of citric acid and invert 

 sugar, but no tartaric, oxalic, and malic acids and a minimum amount of or 

 no lactic acid, the authors have proposed to use these facts as a basis for detect- 

 ing spoilage in tomato products. In doing this the amount of invert sugar, 

 citric acid, and lactic and volatile acids are determined. The determination of 

 Ihe ammonia content of such products also serves as a partial index of protein 

 decomposition. 



Inoculation experiments with molds (Penicillium) and bacteria (Bacillus 

 coli) and the examination of commercial pulp and trimming stock showed that 

 molds apparently do not produce lactic acid as a result of decomposing citric 

 acid, although citric acid is consumed during the vegetative process. Mold also 

 breaks down the nitrogenous constituents of tomatoes and produces much am- 

 monia. " The amount of ammonia so obtained is, for a pulp prepared from 

 whole tomatoes, about twice as great as from a skin and core pulp. Thus, for 



