164 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



This ranged from 2.17 per cent in the case of smelt to 17.59 per cent in 

 salt herring and 18.32 per cent in oysters. The reducing substances 

 were determined by removing the fat in the samples with petroleum 

 ether and digesting the fish powder with hydrochloric acid on a water 

 bath in a flask with a reflux condenser. The solution was filtered, 

 treated with basic lead acetate, and a current of sulphur dioxid passed 

 through the filtered liquid to precipitate any lead. The solution was 

 filtered and concentrated at 100° C. and a little washed alumina added 

 until it was no longer dissolved. The solution was again filtered, 

 evaporated to dryness on a water bath, treated with boiling alcohol, 

 filtered, and the alcohol distilled off. The residue was dissolved in 

 water, decolorized by boiling with animal charcoal and a few drops of 

 milk of lime, filtered, and titrated with Fehling's solution. 



Alfalfa, or lucern : Its chemical life history, I, J. A. Widtsoe 

 [Utah Sta. Bui. 48, jpp. 75, dgms. 12). — The author gives analyses of a 

 number of samples of alfalfa— whole plant, leaves, stalks, and flowers, 

 of the first, second, and third crop — and of first, second, and third crop 

 alfalfa hay. The relative value of the different parts of the plant from 

 different crops is discussed, as well as the proper time of cutting alfalfa 

 hay. 



The following conclusions are drawn: The total dry matter of the 

 alfalfa crop increases up to the time the tops die down. The greatest 

 gains in dry matter occur during the week between budding and 

 medium bloom. Later the gains are insignificant. The total amount 

 of nitrogen -free extract increases up to the time the tops die down, 

 though the relative amount diminishes as the plants grow older. Both 

 the total and relative amounts of crude fiber increase until the plants 

 die down, the formation being most rapid during the flowering period. 

 The total quantity of albuminoids increases up to the first week of full 

 flowering and decreases after this time. The percentage of albuminoids 

 is greatest in the young plants and decreases as the plants grow older. 

 The nonalbuminoid nitrogenous compounds are rapidly converted into 

 albuminoids at the time of budding. The feeding value of the alfalfa 

 crop does not diminish from the period of budding to that of full 

 flowering. 



To obtain the largest yield of dry matter and albuminoids alfalfa 

 should be cut not earlier nor later than the first week of early flowering. 

 This in most cases will be 2 or 3 weeks after the flower buds first 

 appear. The first, second, and third crops have about the same food 

 value, pound for pound. When the alfalfa flowers begin to appear the 

 stalks constitute about 50 or 00 per cent and the leaves 40 or 50 per 

 cent of the whole plant. At the usual time of cutting alfalfa leaves 

 contain one third or more of the total dry matter of the crop. The 

 leaves contain one-third to one-fourth as much crude fiber as the stalks 

 and 2 or 3 times as much albuminoids. 



The digestibility of castor-bean meal from -which the poison 

 has been removed, O. Kellner, A. Kohler, TV. Zielstorff, and 



