514 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



pentoses. In the belief that pentoses were concerned in the forma- 

 tion of hipi)uric acid a feeding experiment, divided into 4 periods, was 

 made with a sheej). A basal ration of 1 kg. of alfalfa hay was fed. 

 The experiment Avas preceded by a preliminary period of 8 days. In 

 the first period (8 days) nothing was added to the basal ration; 

 in the second period (10 days) 50 gm. of cherry gum (yielding arabinose) 

 was added; in the third period (5 days) 100 gm. of pure arabinose; 

 and in the fourth period (3 days) 11*0 gm. of pure arabinose. The total 

 nitrogen and hipjiuric acid in the urine, and tlie pentoses in urine and 

 feces were determined. The coefficients of digestibility of the pentoses 

 were 44.6 per cent in the first period, and 54.3 per cent in the second 

 period. 



The following conclusions were reached : 



The formation of pentoses begins with the growth of the plant, and 

 the pentoses, analogous to true carbohydrates, may be used as a reserve 

 material when plants are kept from the light and the power of assimi- 

 lation is thus removed. The formation of pentoses is intimately con- 

 nected with the formation of crude fiber, /. <?., cellulose, and though it 

 may not have a direct influence on the lignification of the cell membrane 

 it is nevertheless noticeable that it probably always accompanies this 

 process. 



Judging from the plants investigated the cereals or grasses are 

 especially rich in pentoses, while the legumes contain much smaller 

 quantities. 



Pentoses are in part assimilated by the animal organism and in i)art 

 excreted. In the investigation with Herbivora (sheep) no appreciable 

 amount of pentose was found in the urine. It would appear that the 

 pentoses are closely connected with the formation of hippuric acid, 

 since the consumption of large quantities of easily digested pentoses 

 produces an abundant excretion of hippuric acid. 



The absorption of -water by the gluten of different Tvheats, F. B. 

 Guthrie {Agl. Gaz. N. 8. Wales, 7 {1896), No. 9, pp. 583-590).— In a 

 paper read before the Royal Society of ISTew South Wales the autbor 

 describes a number of experiments on (1) the strength, /. e., the amount 

 of water which flour made from various sorts of Australian-grown 

 wheat would absorb, (2) the gluten content, (3) the proportion of glu- 

 tenin and gliadiu in the gluten, and (4) the physical nature of the gluten 

 of the various flours. 



The results are gi%^en in tabular form. In the author's opinion the 

 experiments point to the following conclusions : 



"The streugth or water-absorbing capacity of a flour depends directly upon the 

 relative jiroportion in which the 2 proteids are present in the gluten. 



"If the gluten contents of 2 flours be nearly the same, that will be the stronger 

 flour which contains the larger proportion of glutenin. 



" Flours in which gluteniu preponderates yield strong, tough, elastic, nonadkesive 

 glutens. 



"Increased gliadin content produces a weak, sticky, and inelastic gluten." 



