AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY AGROTECHNY. 115 



The chemical composition and biological role of an oxydase, H. Euler and 

 I. BoLiN iZtschr. Phys. Chem., 69 {1909), pp. 187-202, Jigs, i?),— Laccase was 

 prepared from Medicago sativa and was found to be chiefly composed of neutral 

 calcium combinations with a 1, 2, and 3 basic oxyacid. The acids found were 

 citric, succinic, mesoxalic, and glycollic, with traces of glyoxylic. Plants con- 

 taining manganese accelerate the oxidizing action of laccase toward polyphenol 

 and its derivatives, particularly where the media is either acid, alkaline, or 

 neutral. In such instances the laccase plays a definite biological role in the oxi- 

 dizing pi'ocesses of the plant. Laccase can not oxidize fats and sugar directly, 

 this being done by the various fermenting enzyms. In view of its resistance to 

 heat, it should, according to the author, be classed with the catalyses and not 

 with the enzyms proper. 



The influence of copper salts upon alcoholic fermentation, Clara Seiss (Ber. 

 K. Lchratifit. ITe/a, Obst v. Gartcnbau Gcisenheim, 1908, pp. 170-175, charts .J). — 

 This is a study of the effects of copper sulphate on the fermentations produced 

 by Saccharomyces cllipsoideus and 8. apiculatus. The concentrations of copper 

 sulphate were 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg. per liter of must, respectively. Twenty- 

 five mg. per liter was found to produce a slight retarding of the process, and 

 50 mg. showed a very strong retardation. 



The influence of manganese on the alcoholic fermentation of Saccharo- 

 myces ellipsoideiis and S. apiculatus, (/lara Seiss (Bcr. K. Lchranst. ^V('in, 

 Obst V. Gartenbau Geisenheim, 1908, pp. 167-170). — The addition of 1 per cent 

 of manganese nitrate to musts being fermented by S. apiculatus produced a 

 higher degree of fermentation than in those with nd addition. 8. ellipsoideus 

 (Piesport and Laureiro) was only influenced when as much as 1.8 per cent 

 of manganese nitrate was present. The limit of its etficiency was found to 

 be 2.5 per cent of the salt. 



The nucleic acid of yeast, P. A. Levene (Biochem. Ztschr., 17 {1909), No. 1-3, 

 pp. 120-131; abs. in Chan,. Abs., 3 {1909), No. 15, pp. 176.',, 1765).— On the 

 basis of experimental data a constitutional formula is suggested. 



An experimental study of bagasse and bagasse furnaces, E. W. Kerr and 

 E. M. Percy (Louisiana Stas. Bvl. 117, pp. 106, figs. Ji5). — This is an experi- 

 mental study of bagasse as a fuel and of the adaptability of the various types 

 of furnaces for burning it. With reference to its fuel value various factors 

 were considered, as, for instance, the amount of bagasse burned, its content of 

 moisture, sucrose, fiber, ash, and calorific value, the grate and heating surface 

 and their ratio, the total boiler horsepower per ton of cane in 24 hours, bagasse 

 horsepower per ton of cane in 24 hours, diameter and height of the smoke- 

 stack, dimensions of the furnace, draft and temperature in the furnace, draft, 

 temperature, and composition of the flue gases, volume of air supplied to the 

 furnaces by the blower and draft doors, and the excess of air. The furnaces 

 employed in the test belonged to the Dutch oven, the ordinary, or the heartb 

 types, or to a combination of one or more of these types. 



In the furnace tests it was found that the heat value of the dry bagasse 

 in Louisiana factories varied between 8,283 and 8,431 B. T. U. The average of 

 all was 8,368 B. T. U. With Cuban factory conditions the limits were S,.300 

 and 8,650 B. T. U., with an average of 8,433 B. T. U. There was, therefore, but 

 very little variation between the heat value of the bagasse for the two places. 

 The factors which influence this in the dry bagasse are the sucrose and ash. 

 From the tables for wet bagasse it is shown that the ash content averaged 1.14 

 per cent for Louisiana bagasse and for Cuban bagasse 0.79 per cent. Calcu- 

 lating these results to dry substance and comparing them with the, above heat 

 values, the value per pound of actual combustible material (dry bagasse minus 

 ash) is for Louisiana bagasse 8,559 B. T. U. and for Cuban bagasse 8,568 



