278 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOKD. 



"Tender peas which are ovei-blanched, softtMi, bi-eak open, anil discharge free 

 starch grains so as to make a muddy liquor, and if in great excess, the liquor in 

 tlie bottom of the can becomes pasty. Old peas which are underblauched re- 

 main hard and unpalatable after processing, or, if given a hard process, they 

 will take up all the liquor in the can and become a more or less thickened mass. 

 Such peas never have clear liquor. If the tender and hard peas be mixed, and 

 the blanching be set for the young peas, the older ones are not well done; if set 

 for the older peas, the tender ones are overdone. It follows, therefore, that to 

 get good results requii'es much judgment, and a system of blanching tests could 

 possibly be worked out to advantage. . . . From a sanitai-y standpoint [the 

 continuous washer] is the better type of apparatus [for blanching], though in 

 practice the trough blanchers are probably the more economical but not so 

 cleanly. i 



" Experiments made to determine the increase in the weight of peas as the 

 result of iirocessing showed that, given the same process, the first or best gr.-ide 

 increased from S to 11 per cent, the second or intermediate grade from 10 to 21 

 per cent, and the third grade from 24 to 33 per cent. 



" Cans heated gradually — that is, by turning the steam on slowly so that it 

 required 10 minutes to heat the retort — have a clearer liquor than when the 

 steam is turned on suddenly at full pressure. The very quick heating injures 

 the peas in contact with the can and also causes a blackening inside of the 

 can. . . . The effect of long processing is to cause a gradual decrease in the 

 amount of free liquor in the can and to cause the peas to become sticky and 

 adherent." 



Of commercial canned peas 135 brands were purchased in the market and 

 examined for weight, size, and quality. Many of these fell below the grade 

 claimed, 



" The peas taken from the vines at different times showed no constant change 

 in the sugar content. The vines soured slightly, but the appearance of the peas 

 remained unchanged. An increase in the cloudiness of the liquor was observed 

 as the time after cutting was prolonged." 



Chemical analyses of pea vine hay are given. 



Canning' vegetables in the home, J. F. Breazeale ( V. *S'. Drpt. Affi:, Farmer,^' 

 Bui. 350. pp. 16. figs. 9). — This is a popular article written specially for the 

 information of farmers' wives. Sterilization and the kinds of jars and other 

 containers for use in canning are discussed, and directions are given for canning 

 corn, string beans, beets, peas, eggplant, okra, asparagus, cauliflower, carrots, 

 parsnips, kohl-rabi, lima beans, squash, tomatoes, pumpkins, succotash, and 

 " vegetable roust " or u mixture of several vegetables. 



VETERINARY MEDICINE. 



Immunochemistry, S. Arrhenius (Ergch. Phij.'^ioL. 7 {1908), pp. -'/80-//S.3). — 

 This is a review of work on immunochemistry, in which 140 titles upon the sub- 

 ject are referred to. 



Opsonins and other antibodies, L. Hektoen {Science, n. ser., 29 {1909), Xo. 

 737, pp. 2'tl-i'iS). — This is a paper presented before the section of physiology 

 and experimental medicine of the American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science, at Baltimore. December, 1908. in which the author considers the pres- 

 ent status of our knowledge of antibodies. 



Opsonic technic, R. E. Walker {Jour. Med. Research, 19 {1908), No. 1, pp. 

 237-257, figs. 8). — The author describes methods which, in his opinion, with 

 some practice will enable anyone having a fair laboratory training to do accu- 

 rate work in tliis field. 



