AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY AGROTECHNY, 209 



age. The difCereiit components wLicli make up tlie ]irotein molecule naturally 

 unite iu a similar way in bodies so closely related as edestin and legumiu, small 

 differences being exi)lainal)le as due to secondary i)rocesses. It seems fair to 

 conclude that similar results are obtained with strong acid acting for a short 

 time and with dilute acid acting for a long time. 



The occurrence of adenin in bamboo sprouts, G. Totant (Zt-sclir. Pln/i^iol. 

 Chcm., 62 {1909), No. 2-3, pp. 113, 11.',). —The author reports the presence of 

 adenin in bamboo sprouts. 



Contributions to a knowledge of rennet action, W. Van Dam {'/AHclir. 

 riii/siol. Clicm., 5S {1909), .Vo. 'i, pp. 29-1-330, fif/.s. 3: ahs. in Zenthl. PhysioJ.. 23 

 (1909), No. 12, p. .'i02). — The author investigated why the milk of some cows 

 does not coagulate with rennet. The number of hydrogen ions was found to 

 he highest (0.14— 0.32 X10-« ), with milk which coagulated well, but with milk 

 having a deficient coagulation it was O.IG — 0.22 X10~®. He, therefore, con- 

 cludes that the deficiency of hydrogen ions is not the cause of the noncoagula- 

 (ion of milk, but thai this is probably duo to a lack of colloidal calcium in the 

 milk. 



The influence of chemicals in stimulating' the ripening of fruits, \. E. Vin- 

 son (Nr/(7(cr, II. sci:. 30 [1909), So. 77'/. /*/*. (iO'i, GO',). — A preliminary report 

 is made of the successful ripening of dates by exposing them to the vapor of 

 acetic acid for 12 or 15 hours. "At the end of this time they have become 

 transparent nearly to the seed and will then ripen naturally without further 

 treatment. The process can be accelerated by exi)osing them to siuishine, or 

 more rapidly by heating for some hours to 45° C. The process, it is anticipated, 

 will permit the shipping of dates green and ripening them at their destination as 

 bananas are now handled. 



"The fresh, ripe date is very soft and prone to sour quickly, while the unripe 

 fruit is very firm and not easily bruised. Furthermore, the ripe, fresh date de- 

 teriorates very rapidly in flavor, due largely to the inversion of the cane sugar. 

 For example, the unripe fruit of the seedling used in these experiments contains 

 15 or 20 per cent of cane sugar when ready to ripen, but very soon after com- 

 plete ripeness tliis cane sugar disappears. This is due to tUe release of the 

 intracellular invertase at the time of ripening. . . . By artificial ripening at 

 their destination, the more inferior invert sugar varieties can be placed upon 

 the table of the distant consumer with their maximum quota of cane sugar and 

 consequently of flavor. 



" After moderate treatment with acetic acid, the tannin of the date has not 

 yet become entirely insoluble but all astringency disappears in the next few 

 hours. The intracellular invertase, however, passes into solution to quite an 

 appreciable extent immediately after the treatment, and probably other in- 

 tracellular or insoluble catalytic agents are released simultaneously." 



The author also studied the effect of other chemical substances on the ripen- 

 ing of dates. 



Soy beans and soy bean oil, E. B. Holland {Massachusetts Sta. lipt. 190S. 

 pt. 2, pp. 111-119). — Soy beau oil was extracted from the beans by rolling, 

 heating the mass, and finally pressing by torsion. Analysis of the press cake 

 showed that 55 to 60 per cent of the oil was extracted. 



The physical analysis showed that the oil had a dark amber color, specific 

 gravity 0.9206 at 15° C, specific viscosity 8.43 at 70° F. (Boverton-Redwood 

 viscosimeter), refractive index 1.4749 at 20° C, 1.473 at 25°, and 1.4675 at 40°. 

 The mean dispersion was 0.00938 at 20° C, 0.00934 at 25°, and 0.00922 at 40°. 



The results of the chemical analysis were as follows: Saponification number 

 191.95, acid number 1.27, ether number 190.68, 99.37 per cent neutral fat (95.07 



