314 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



also contains a short description of tlie metliods for utilizing the by-products 

 of the olive, the preparation of olive conserves, some chemical methods for 

 examining olive oil, and plans illustrating the various types of oil factories. 



The antiseptic effect of creosote oil and other oils used for preserving 

 timber, J. M. Weiss {Jour. Soc. Chem. Indus., 30 {1911), No. 23, pp. 13^8- 

 1353). — This work was done with pure cultures of Bacillus siihtilis, Sac- 

 charomyces glutinis, and a species of Penicillium closely resembling the species 

 described in Bulletin 118 of the Bureau of Animal Industry of this Department 

 (E. S. R.. 22, p. 531). 



S. glutinis " developed slowly on sterile wood, but after a few months showed 

 its characteristic red color on the surface, and a microscopic examination of a 

 thin section of the surface wood showed evidences of destructive action. The 

 same was noticed with the bacillus, but neither seems to have a high degree of 

 virility. The important feature seems to be that they make sound wood more 

 susceptible to the attacks of higher fungi by a preliminary comparatively slight 

 decomposition. The [Penicillium] grows very quickly on wood, and after 2 

 months the wood shows distinct signs of decay microscopically." 



The materials investigated as regards the preservative action for wood were 

 creosote oil with the bases, acids, and solid hydrocarbons removed, various 

 materials added, water-gas tar distillates, pure phenol, cresol, naphthalene, 

 anthracene, quinolin, and paraffin, and commercial creosoting oils. The results 

 obtained are briefly summarized as follows : 



" The neutral oils of creosote are strong antiseptics. The middle portion of 

 these neutral oils from 235 to 270° is the strongest, the higher boiling oils are 

 considerably weaker, the lower oils slightly so. High boiling bases of coal tar 

 are strong antiseptics. The coal-tar acids are very strong antiseptics, their 

 efficiency rising with the boiling point. The solid hydrocarbons, naphthalene 

 and anthracene, have low antiseptic value. The addition of filtered tar in 

 moderate amounts to creosote does not materially reduce its antiseptic value. 

 Paraffin has no antiseptic qualities. Water-gas tar distillates have lower anti- 

 septic value, and in this respect are decidedly inferior to the neutral coal-tar 

 oils. Coal-tar creosote is in the highest degi'ee superior as an antiseptic pre- 

 servative to the water-gas tar distillates and petroleum residues, used for the 

 same purpose." 



Maize straw; its use for the manufacture of paper and fodder, B. Dobneb 

 {English Patent 8638, April 7, 1911; abs. in Jour. Soc. Chem. Indus., 30 {1911), 

 "No. 23, p. 1316). — "Maize stems are freed from dirt by treatment in a beating 

 and dusting machine ; they are then cut up, steeped in water, and shredded into 

 fibers by special tubular refiners. The shredded material is boiled with a dilute 

 solution of acetic acid (0.2 to 0.4 per cent) under a pressure not exceeding 3.8 

 atmospheres, the digesters being arranged in series so that the liquid from one 

 may be used in the next on the counter-current principle. In this way 17 to 18 

 per cent of the straw can be extracted. The material is next boiled with lime- 

 water, and, as this becomes neutralized, further small additions of alkaline 

 liquid are made, e. g., milk of lime, a 0.2 per cent solution of sodium carbonate, 

 or 0.1 per cent solution of sodium hydroxid. The end of the operation is indi- 

 cated when neutralization of the alkali becomes slow. The acid and the alkaline 

 extracts of the stems are evaporated separately to a sirupy consistency, then 

 mixed and absorbed by finely ground maize stems to form a fodder. The 

 extracted material is converted into paper pulp by digestion with sodium 

 hydroxid, the pith cells being separated by treatment on sieves." 



The sugar content of maize stalks, G. N. Blackshaw {So. African Jour. 

 Sci., 8 {1912), No. 8, pp. 269-273).— This article gives the results of an investi- 

 gation of the Stewart method, which, briefly stated, consists of removing the 



