710 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



The examination of bituminous materials for road construction, C. Rich- 

 ardson and C. N. Forest {Clicm. Engin., 10 (1909), No. 3, pp. 96, 97).— A 

 description of various methods employed for the examination of bituminous sub- 

 stances for road mailing. The determinations considered are the specific grav- 

 ity, flash test, naphtha soluble bitumen and its character, residual coke or fixed 

 carbon, paraffin scale, and cementing value. 



The Munroe crucible, W. O. Snelling {Jour. Amcr. Chcm. Soc, 31 {1909), 

 No. 4, pp. 456-461). — To prepare this crucible a finely perforated platinum 

 crucible is filled with a mixture of ammonium-platinic-chlorid in alcohol, and 

 pressed upon a few layers of filter paper until all the alcohol has been ab- 

 sorbed. When there is a layer of double salt of from 0.25 to 0.5 cm. upon it 

 the residual alcohol in the crucible is driven off by careful heating, the tem- 

 perature raised until the decomposition of the salts sets in, and the crucible 

 then heated strongly to redness. If the layer of spongy platinum is not level it 

 may be pressed with the flattened end of a glass rod, or better, the original 

 operation may be repeated. 



Solvents for use with the Munroe crucible, O. D. Swett {Jour. Amer. Chem. 

 Soc, 31 {1909), No. 8, pp. 928-932). — When the Munroe crucible is employed for 

 the same kind of material throughout it rarely becomes necessary to remove 

 the precipitate from the previous determinations save when the accumulation 

 becomes large, but with differing analyses this must be done. The author has 

 therefore compiled a list of new and already known solvents for use with the 

 different precipitates. 



A modified form, of Gooch crucible. T. W. Richards {Jour. Amer, Chem. Soc., 

 31 {1909), No. 10, p. 1146, fig. 1). — The modification consists in the addition of a 

 flaring brim to the rim of the crucible, which makes it easy to transfer pre- 

 cipitates from a large beaker without loss. 



[A modified Gooch crucible], O. Brunck {Choii. Ztg., 33 {1909), No. 77, pp. 

 649, 650, fig. 1). — The Neubauer modification consists in replacing the asbestos 

 layer on the perforated bottom of the crucible by a layer of spongy platinum, 

 burning this in so that it adheres to the sides. Experiments showed that this 

 held back the smallest particles of precipitate. 



The effect of ultraviolet rays upon fermenting' ciders, Maueain and Wab- 

 coLLiER {Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris], ]'i9 {1909), No. 2, pp. 135, 156; abs. 

 in Jour. Soc. Chem. Indus., 28 {1909), No. 16, p. 900).— The ultraviolet rays 

 checked the fermentation of cider, this being due to the absorption of the rays 

 by the cider itself. The source of the rays in this experiment was a mercury 

 vapor lamp. 



By-products of the sugar beet and their uses, C. O. Townsend {U. S. Dcpt. 

 Agr. Yearbook 1908, pp. 4'i'i~452). — Aside from the obtaining of sugar from the 

 sugar beet little is ordinarily done in this country in the way of the utilization 

 of its by-products. It is pointed out, however, that these can be employed for 

 stock feeding, for fertilizing, for the production of denatured alcohol, and in 

 the manufacture of cement. The author presents data which indicate the mone- 

 tary returns that might be oI)tained in these ways. 



Sugar-cane wax: A study of the possibility of obtaining this commercially, 

 A. WiJNBERG {Over Rieticas en de JllogeUjkheid Zijner TechniscJte Gcwlnning. 

 Proefschr. Tech. Hoogeschool Delft, 1909, pp. 198, pis. 5). — According to the 

 author the filter waste from sugar-cane, calculated to dry substance, contains 10 

 per cent of a waxy substance. A study was made as to the chemical and botan- 

 ical nature of this substance and its economic preparation and utilization. 



The manufacture of fl.avoring extracts, E. M. Chace ( U. S. Dept. Agr. Year- 

 book 1908, pp. 333-342, j)l.s. 4)- — The author discusses the various phases in- 



