19181 AGBIOULrUBAL OBCBMISTBY — AGEOTECHNT. 9 



II. Distillation of geranium oil in the NUgiris (pp. 27-32). — The subject Is 

 discussed under the topics of botanical identification, a summary of the litera- 

 ture on geranium oil, yield and composition of the oil, constants of the geranium 

 oil of European commerce, production and trade, cultivation of geranium, and 

 field experiments with a view to determining the yield and constants of the 

 Nilgiri oil. 



Cultivation of geranium is encouraged as an auxiliary crop for the use of 

 eucalyptus distillers. An oil of excellent aroma having 46.6 per cent of free 

 geraniol and 28.19 per cent of combined geraniol was obtained. 



III. Manufacture of wvntergreen oil in India (pp. 33-39). — ^This reports the 

 results of an experimental study relative to the supply of raw material, yield 

 of oil, cost of production, cartage, packing, etc. 



The results of the study have shown that the Nilgiri plant is too poor in oil 

 content to be considered as a commercial source of oil of wintergreen. 



The presence of arsenic in hops, W. W. Stockbekgeb and W. D. Collins 

 (f7. S. Dept. Agr. Bui. 568 (1917), pp. 7). — Data are presented which show that 

 sun-dried hops collected from various yards in Oregon during 1915 contained 

 practically no arsenic. The spraying materials in general use are not con- 

 sidered to be responsible for the contamination of hops with arsenic. The 

 sulphur used for the hops collected was generally found to be contaminated 

 with arsenic. It is indicated that " little, if any, doubt remains that impure 

 sulphur alone is responsible for the contamination of hops with appreciable 

 quantities of arsenic." 



The analytical data are submitted in tabular form. 



See also a previous note (B. S. R., 19, p. 1007). 



Some enzyms of germinating red. gram (Cajanus indicus), B. Viswanath 

 (Agr. Jour. India, Indian Sci. Cong. No., 1917, pp. 109-116). — Investigations re- 

 ported show the presence of an ereptase, amylase, cytase, maltase, sucrase, 

 oxidase, lipase, and urease in an aqueous extract of the germinated red gram, 

 or dholl (pigeon pea). No peptase was found in the normal seed. Hydrolysis 

 of the reserve protein was found to take place at a late stage in the germina- 

 tion. Whether this hydrolysis is due to a protoplasmic activity or to the secre- 

 tion of a separate enzym in the course of germination is indicated as still being 

 doubtful. 



The use of textile fibers in microscopic qualitative chemical analysis, 

 E. M. Chamot and H. I. Coue (Jour. Indus, and Engin. Chem., 9 (1917), No. 

 10, pp. 969-971 ) . — The authors describe a method for the detection of alkalinity 

 and acidity in minute drops of liquid by means of silk fibers impregnated with 

 litmus. Congo red viscose silk fibers could be used only for the detection of 

 acidity. Acidity due to mineral acids yielded positive results in solutions as 

 dilute as ^.^-normal. The indicator fibers were found not to be quite so 

 sensitive to alkali. The sensitiveness of the indicator fibers was found to vary 

 with the degree of adsorption of the dye and the degree of purification of the 

 raw silk and of the litmus used. 



It is indicated that Congo red fibers can not be used to differentiate organic 

 acids from mineral acids. 



The preparation of fibers and the technique of the determinations, together 

 with a modified procedure for preparing an exceedingly pure litmus, are de- 

 scribed in detail. 



An electrically heated and controlled air bath, W. P. Schuck (Jour. Indus, 

 and Engin. Chem., 9 (1917), No. 10, pp. 97S, 974, fig- i).— The construction and 

 operation of the apparatus are described in detail. The cost of materials re- 

 quired to make the ordinary air bath electrically heated and controlled waa 

 $1.60, ex<du8iye of the platinum contact points. 



