460 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



L Introduction of a South China silkworm into Formosa], C. F. Deichman 

 {Daily Cons, and Trade lipts. [V. /S.], 1909, No. 3US, p. -?4)-— A silkworm which 

 is common in South China is said to have been introduced into Formosa by the 

 government. The central part of Formosa contains many maple trees on the 

 leaves of which this species thrives. Its silk is said to be very strong. 



Tasar silk cocoon rearing at the Chaibassa Tasar Farm in Bengal, F. Smith 

 (Dept. Agr. Bengal, Quart. Jour., 2 {1909), No. 3, pp. 1^7-157).— In order to dis- 

 cover the cause of the recent decline in the tasar silk industry and with a view 

 to fostering it. a farm has been laid out and building erected by the Bengal De- 

 partment of Agriculture. 



The tasar worm {Antheria mylifta) is known to thrive best when in the jungle. 

 Instead of renewing the stock from wild seed it was found that rearers kept the 

 old seed cocoons in stock, with the result that deterioration set in. In order to 

 remedy this it is proposed to take wild seed and domesticate it for 1 year, then 

 issue it to raisers. The life history and habits of this species are described and 

 several natural enemies mentioned. The low price now obtaining for tasar silk is 

 considered as perhaps the most important cause of the decline in the tasar 

 industry. 



FOODS— HUMAN NUTRITION. 



Effect of sugar and temperature on fniit juices, Jenny H. Snow {Jour. 

 Home Eeon., 1 {1909), No. 3,. pp. 261-266). — Investigations regarded as pre- 

 liminary were undertaken to ascertain the effect of sugar in jelly making, to 

 determine whether it is possible to And a temperature or density at which fruit 

 juices jelly, and to measure the relative sweetness of cane sugar, dextrose, and 

 levulose. The fruits used were apples, plums, and currants. 



The density at which a good product may be obtained varied with the differ- 

 ent fruits, but seemed to be nearly uniform for each fruit and was not affected 

 by the amount of sugar used. It was on an average 30° Baume for apples, 

 29° for plums and 26° for currants. 



" This density was obtained at a lower temperature and in less time with the 

 larger amount of sugar. The smaller the amount of sugar used, the longer the 

 period of boiling required and the darker the color of the product. 



" In each case the smaller the amount of sugar, the more pronounced the 

 fruit flavor of the jelly. . . . 



'' It was found that the currants, grapes, and plums would jelly without 

 adding sugar, but the product was neither clear nor palatable and the cost 

 in the case of the currants was over a dollar a glass. 



" The jelly containing the smaller proportion of sugar seemed to keep as well 

 as that containing the larger proportion." 



Taking cane sugar as the standard, " dextrose [is] much less sweet, . . . levu- 

 lose, sweeter, . . . [and] mixture of equal parts of levulose and dextrose, less 

 sweet. 



One of the experiments consisted in cooking larger amounts of apples with 

 cane sugar added respectively before and after boiling. Wben the sugar was 

 added to the apples before cooking, and boiled with them, it was found that 

 it was largely inverted : when added at the close of the cooking period, it was 

 only slightly inverted. 



"The difference in sweetness between stewed apples when the sugar has 

 been added before and after cooking, respectively, is so slight as to be of little 

 practical consequence. ... 



" The experiments with one exception show that the acidity is less in apples 

 cooked in water either with or without sugar than in uncooked fruit." 



