AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY AGROTECHNY. 409 



cedure by Graff (E. S. R., 20, p. 1161), that the ammonia precipitated retains 

 much copper, does not hold good. 



The estimation of small quantities of lead in beer, A. W. Knapp (Jour. Soc. 

 Cliem. Indus., 30 (1911). No. ',. pp. 165, 166). — For determining iu beer the 

 lead content which originates from the pipes through which the beer passes, 

 the author uses the following method : 



" One hundred cc. of beer are evaporated to about 20 cc. in a porcelain dish, 

 which is as large as will conveniently go into a muffle. Ten cc. of nitric acid 

 are carefully added and the evaporation continued until there are about 4 cc. 

 of a viscous liquid. One gm. of magnesia is well mixed with the sirup and 

 the whole dried and ignited in an open muffle till the ash is white. The ash 

 is dissolved in 15 cc. of dilute nitric acid (roughly 3 times normal strength), 

 neutralized with dilute ammonia solution, made acid with 10 cc. roughly normal 

 acetic [acid] and diluted to 100 cc. The small amount of insoluble matter is 

 allowed to settle, and 50 cc. of this solution in a Nessler glass is treated with 

 3 cc. saturated sulphuretted hydrogen water and compared with standards put 

 on at the same time. 



" To make the standard solution of lead, a strong solution containing 1.831 

 gm. of lead acetate and 6 cc. of glacial acetic acid per 100 cc. is first prepared. 

 One cc. of this solution is diluted to 100 cc. to obtain the standard solution 

 (1 cc. =0.0001 gm. of lead)." 



Analyses of sugar beets, 1905 to 1910, together with methods of sugar 

 determination, A. H. Bryan (U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Chcm. Bui. lJf6, pp. .^S, 

 pJs. 2, figs. 5). — This bulletin deals with and describes the methods used for 

 sampling from the field, pile, wagon, or car ; laboratory sampling and pulping ; 

 sampling and testing seed beets ; and the indirect and direct methods for deter- 

 mining sugar. 



In connection with the indirect method for sugar, which is dependent upon 

 pressing the juice from the beets and the determining of sugar in the juice, 

 the author describes a hydraulic press which is used for obtaining the juice. 

 Among the direct methods, in which the sugar is determined directly in the 

 beet, are described the cold-water digestion methods of Pellet and Sachs le Docte, 

 the hot-water digestion method, the hot-water digestion method of Sachs le 

 Docte, Herzf eld's modification of the Sachs le Docte method (E. S. R., 25, p. 

 502), the alcohol, cold alcohol and hot alcohol digestion methods, and the 

 alcohol extraction method. 



In discussing the methods it is pointed out " that for veiy accurate or control 

 work the alcohol extraction method should be used, but for general work, one 

 of the hot-water digestion methods will give good results and the analyst is 

 less likely to introduce eri'ors in the manipulation. With the average sample 

 of beets, the 2 methods when carefully applied will yield duplicate results, 

 but in the case of very abnormal beets one method might give higher figures 

 than another. The instantaneous methods (cold extraction) are only suitable 

 with very fine pulp and the results can be depended upon only when they have 

 been checked against a standard method. With these instantaneous methods 

 as many samples of beets can be analyzed per day as by the indirect method, 

 and it is claimed by many that the Sachs le Docte hot digestion method or the 

 Herzfeld modification will yield as many determinations in a given time as the 

 indirect method, with the same amount of work, provided the laboratory is 

 fitted for the work." 



In addition, detailed analytical data in regard to numerous sugar-beet 

 analyses are given. These were obtained from beets grown in practically all 

 sections of the United States. The data are finally condensed to show the 



