788 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The total quantity of mineral matter withdrawn, as shown by the ash, 

 is considerably greater for all the nuts tlian for the stone fruits, with 

 the exception of the olive. In the case of the olive the excess consists 

 mostly of silica, the ash containing- SS i)er cent of that substance. 



Investigations have been made on the food value of nuts, and a sum- 

 marized table is given of the analyses. In the following table the 

 author's analyses are given and for comparative purposes some Euro- 

 pean analyses and the analyses of 8 specimens of Pennsylvania-grown 

 chestnuts are included : 



rroximate composition of the water-free kernels of nuts. 



Walnuts : 



California-grown, California Softshell 



California-grown, Uijoii 



European-grown, English walnut' 



California Kativi; Black 



California-grown, American Black 



Almonds: 



California-grown, ditterent varieties 



European-grown, sweet almond ' 



Chestnuts : 



California-grown, "Italian " 



Pennsylvania-grown, ditterent varieties ' . . 



European-grown, average ' 



Kum- 

 her of 

 analy- 

 ses'. 



Ash. 



Per ct. 

 1.44 

 1.71 

 2.13 



1.77 

 2.06 



2.14 

 3.13 



1.C8 

 2.89 

 3.54 



Fat. 



Per ct. 

 85.08 

 66.04 

 65. 95 

 56.06 

 59.30 



57.62 



56.74 



4.22 

 11.63 

 2.82 



> Konig. 



» Pennsylvania Sta. Bui. 16 (E. S. E., 3, p. 177;. 



Where other forms of food lack protein or albuminoids and fat, walnuts 

 and almonds are able to supply this deficiency in a concentrated form. 

 The chestnut with its high content of starch, sugar, dextrin, etc., may 

 be used as a substitute for the cereals. 



The bleaching of nuts by dipping, E. W. Hilgard {California 

 Sta. Bui. 113., pp. 11, 15). — The unsatisfactory results often secured in 

 the usual method of bleaching nuts by the use of sulphur have led to 

 an investigation of this subject with a view to securing some more sat- 

 isfactory method of treatment. Very good results have been obtained 

 by dipping the nuts in a cane or splint basket for 5 minutes in a solu- 

 tion of G lbs. bleaching powder, 12 lbs. sal soda and 50 gal. of water. 

 They are then thoroughly rinsed with a hose, drained, and dipped in a 

 1 per cent solution of bisulphite of lime until the desired color is secured, 

 after which the nuts are again i insed and dried. Instead of the last 

 dipping the same results may be obtained by sulphuring the nuts for 

 10 to 15 minutes. The cost of 50 gal. of the chlorin dip will be about 40 

 cts., and the same quantity of the bisulphite would probably cost less. 

 The time occupied in handling a lot of nuts will be from 12 to 15 min- 

 utes. If practiced upon an extensive scale, some modifications will 

 doubtless be suggested, but the method as a whole is considered far 

 superior to the use of the sulphur box. For English walnuts either of 

 the two bleaching dips may be used alone. 



