718 EXPEETMENT STATION RECORD. 



The chemical composition of the sisal leaf was as follows: 



Chemical composition of sisal leaves, calculcted on a dry ftcsis. 



Constituent. 



Reducing sugars 



Nonreducing sugars . 



Gums 



Starch 



Pentosans 



Nitrogenous matter. 



Resin 



Fiber 



Ash (total) 



Acidity 



Sample numbers. 



Per cent. 



12.49 

 5.58 



35.14 



.66 



2.32 



7.25 



2.82 



20.86 



14.42 



Per cent. 



18.68 



17.32 



15.67 



2.57 



4.92 



4.75 



.83 



23.13 



8.53 



4.42 



Per cent. 



10.45 



27.77 



23.48 



.66 



3.96 



4.89 



1.84 



15.80 



9.16 



3.48 



Per cent. 



20.03 

 7.56 



23.72 

 1.80 

 4.73 

 6.00 

 1.53 



23.71 

 9.14 

 3.94 



Per cent. 



7.48 



7.33 



34.58 



.64 



5.95 



3.68 



1.57 



26.49 



11.83 



1.56 



Per cent. 



18.50 

 2.69 



38.51 

 1.25 

 4.58 

 5.19 

 1.93 



18.32 



14.76 



The sugars .soluble in cold water were in every instance found to be ap- 

 parently insoluble in alcohol. The sum of the water and alcohol-soluble sub- 

 stances were a fairly constant quantity in most cases. When the sugar con- 

 tent of fresh sisal leaves was high the percentage of gum was low. After such 

 leaves were left in the laboratory for a month a considerable reduction of the 

 total sugar content (from 36 to 12.14 per cent) and an increase in the gum 

 content (from 15.67 to 39.53 per cent) took place. 



The acid present in sisal was found to be lactic and the authors werQ not 

 able to obtain a test for oxalic acid after boiling the leaves vigorously in water, 

 but a faint test was obtained after boiling in a hydrochloric acid solution. 

 Short leaves were found to possess a higher percentage of acid than longer ones. 



" The sugar content of the fresh leaf varied from 2 to 7 per cent, making an 

 average of 4.5 per cent, which theoretically would yield about 26 liters (or 

 G.5 gallons) absolute alcohol per ton of leaves. It is hardly conceivable that 

 with such a sugar content this could be made a remunerative industry with the 

 waste at hand." 



Report in regard to the activities of the Pom^mritz Agricultural- Chemical 

 Experiment Station, 1911, Loges {Bcr. Agr. Chem. Vers. Stat. Pommritz, 

 1911, pp. 8). — This is the report of the activities of this station for the year 

 1911, including among other data analyses of dairy products, fertilizers, feeding 

 stuffs, and miscellaneous materials. 



International catalogue of scientific literature, D — Chemistry {Internat. 

 Cat. Sci. Lit., 9 (1912), pp. VII+960).— The literature indexed in this publica- 

 tion (E. S. R., 24, p. 408) is mainly that published in the year 1909, but in- 

 cludes some articles from 1901 to 1908 which were received too late for insertion 

 in previous volumes, and also some entries dated 1910. 



METEOROLOGY— WATER. 



The correlation between sunspots and the weather, A. Gockel (Sci. Amer. 

 Sup., 7'/ {1912), No. 1911, pp. 102, 103).— The scientific evidence bearing on 

 such correlation is reviewed. The correlation between sunspots and rain and 

 between sunspots and terrestrial magnetism is considered to be established. 

 It is also stated that the frequency of cyclones increases with the number of 

 sunspots. 



[Weather observations], M. A. Blake, B. D. H.\lsted et al. (New Jersey 

 Stas. Rpt. 1910, pp. 81-86, 272-276).— Observations on temperature, precipita- 



