712 EXPERIMENT STATION RECOED. [Vol.38 



So per cent wheat, 5.57 ; bean flour, 8.2 ; rice flour, 23.6 ; 10 per cent rice and 90 

 per cent wheat, 7.75. Addition of limewatcr to an interior flour gives a lower 

 nitrogen ratio and improves the balding quality. 



The authors conclude that a too great disproportion between total and soluble 

 nitrogen corresponds to difficulties in baking, and that the action is most favor- 

 able when the nitrogen ratio is in the vicinity of G. The determination is of 

 practical interest in indicating the proportions of different flours neces.sary to 

 produce the best results in baking. 



The soluble nitrogenous matter as an index of the baking value of flour, 

 RoussEAUx and Sirot (Compt. Rend. Acad. ScL [Paris], 166 (1918), No. 4, pp. 

 190-192; Ann. Chim. Analyt., 23 (1918), No. S, pp. 50-55).— Substantially noted 

 above. 



The catalase activity of American wheat flours, C. H. Bailey (Jour. Biol. 

 Chem., 32 (1917), No. S, pp. 539-^45, fig. i).— The author at the Minnesota Ex- 

 periment Station has investigated the relationship between the catalase activity 

 and grade of American wheat flours with a view to the practicability of utilizing 

 this test in distinguishing between different grades of flour. Pour series of sam- 

 ples from different mills in Minnesota were tested, including samples of patent, 

 straight, first clear, and second clear flours. The method employed was as 

 follows : 



One gm. of flour was placed in a mortar and triturated with about 25 cc. of 

 dLstilled water and then washed into a bottle with 75 cc. of water. The bottle 

 was connected with a eudiometer and a separatory funnel, through which, after 

 the water level in the eudiometer had been brought to zero, 5 cc. of a perhydrol 

 (30 per cent H-Os) solution was admitted to the flour suspension. The first 

 reading of the evolved gas was made at the end of 80 minutes, the second and 

 last at the end of an hour. 



Tables are given showing the source and grade of the samples, their ash con- 

 tent, and catalase activity expressed in terms of cubic centimeters of oxygen 

 evolved in 30 and 60 minutes with a 1 gm. charge of flour. The results show a 

 close but not exact parallelism between the percentage of ash and the quantity 

 of oxygen evolved. The catalase activity increases at a more rapid rate than 

 the percentge of ash, which is of distinct advantage in distinguishing between 

 the various grades of flour. An additional advantage of this procedure is that 

 it can be made in shorter time and with less expensive apparatus than the ash 

 determination. The author considers the test to be of consrderable value in 

 indicating the grade of flour. 



Wheat bran, its substitution and adulterations, E. Collin (Ann. Falsi/., 

 10 (1917), No. 109-110, pp. 5S9-554, figs. 12).— This article describes the physi- 

 cal, chemical, and microscopic characteristics of wheat bran and of the various 

 substances used to adulterate it, such as the husks of various cereals, cornstalks, 

 peanut shells, sawdust, and mineral matter, as sand, chalk, etc. Attention is 

 called especially to the occasional presence in commercial bran of castor-bean 

 meal, which is exceedingly poisonous to animals. 



Poisonous bread and flour: Characterization and determination of sapo- 

 toxins, L. Stcecklin (Ann. Falsif., 10 (1917), No. 109-110, pp. 561-572, figs. 

 S). — Attention is called to the possible presence in flour not highly milled of 

 poisonous grains, particularly fennel, which can be eliminated from wheat only 

 with great difficulty. The presence of fennel in flour may cause the war bread 

 made from the flour to be injurious to the health on account of the sapotoxins 

 contained in it. 



The author reviews the chemical and physical properties of the sapotoxins 

 and describes a method of detecting their presence in flour by means of their 

 hemolyzing action on blood. The materials employed for the reaction are an 



