26 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



turbance of the activity of tlie mammary gland. A fermentation reductase test 

 using metliylene blue alone is a certain means to detect milk which is not fresh. 

 The reductase test with methylene blue and formalin, according to the author, 

 has no apparent advantage over the regular reductase test. The determination 

 of the dirt content of milk should be made in all instances, using cotton disks 

 as the filtering medium. 



Yearly report of the Swiss Agricultural Institute at Zurich for 1910, A. 

 Grete {TAindic. Jahrb. SchweAz, 25 (1911), No. 3, pp. 197-212).— This report 

 reviews the activities of the station for the year 1910, and reports the results 

 of examinations of fertilizers, regular and special feed stuffs, soils, honey, and 

 copper sulphate. 



Two new pieces of chemical apparatus, R. F. Bacon and P. B. Dunbar 

 (U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Chem. Circ. 80, pp. 3, flgs. 2). — The first apparatus de- 

 scribed is for the continuous extraction of liquids with immiscible solvents 

 lighter than water, and consists of 4 parts: A jacket flask; an extractor 

 thimble; an ordinary Gooch funnel; and a condenser. 



"(1) The jacket flask is made of glass tubing 2 in. In diameter and approxi- 

 mately one-sixteenth of an inch thick ; it is 20.5 in. long and is enlarged to a 

 diameter of about 3 in. at its lower or sealed end. ... (2) The extraction 

 thimble is an ordinary test tube having a diameter of 1.5 in. and a capacity of 

 100 cc. when filled to Mnthin 1.5 in. of the top. One-fourth of an inch from its 

 top and on opposite sides of the tube are placed 2 holes about i in. in diam- 

 eter." (.3) The Gooch crucible funnel used Is 8.5 in. long. When dense liquids 

 are to be extracted it is sometimes necessary to increase the length of the fun- 

 nel. The lower end of the stem is ground at an angle of 45°. (4) A special 

 condenser is designed to hang loosely In the jacket flask, but " a simpler form of 

 condenser, which is just as efficient, may be made by sealing one end of a 

 If-in. tube and drawing it to a point. The open end is flared somewhat to 

 permit the tube to hang in the jacket. The condenser tube is closed by a 2-holed 

 rubber stopper, through which pass the inflow and outflow tubes." 



The second apparatus was devised to give in a compact and easily manipu- 

 lated form an apparatus which will allow of the measurement of an evolved 

 gas without first sweeping out all air or other indifferent gases. It consists of 

 (a) a graduated funnel tube, (b) a reaction chamber, (c) an absorption tube 

 filled with glass beads, (d) a eudiometer, and (e) a leveling tube. A heating 

 coil may be wrapped around the reaction chamber (b) when desired. The ab- 

 sorption tube, which is sealed to the eudiometer, fits into the reaction chamber 

 by means of a ground joint. The apparatus has been used in the laboratory of 

 the Bureau of Chemistry with accurate results to estimate citric acid by the 

 Splca method and for the estimation of amino acids by the Van Slyke method 

 (E. S. R., 25, p. 710; 26. p. 22). 



Casein for clarifying' cider and perry, A. Teuelle (Indus. Lait. [Paris], 

 36 (1911), No. S-'i, pp. 556, 557). — Casein is not so good a clarifiant as gelatin for 

 cider and perry. 



METEOROLOGY— WATER. 



Monthly Weather Review (Mo. Weather Rev., 39 (1911), Nos. 6, pp. 815- 

 972, figs. 2, charts 9; 7, pp. 973-11.3',, figs. 21. charts 9).— In addition to the usual 

 climatological summaries, weather forecasts and warnings for June and July, 

 1911, river and flood observations, lists of additions to the Weather Bureau 

 library and of recent papers on meteorology and seismologj% a condensed cli- 

 matological summary, and climatological tables and charts, these numbers con- 

 tain the following special papers: 



