806 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The impurities were largely particles of litter and fodder, although 

 particles of duug aud fibers of straining cloths, etc., were found in 

 nearly all samples. Woolen and colored cotton fibers from the clothes 

 of attendants were found in nearly half the samples. For the sake of 

 comparison, some other food articles were examined in the same man- 

 ner, with results as follows: Granulated sugar, 65.3 mg. impurities per 

 kilogram; "tea sugar'' (fine granulated), 242.5 mg.; kitchen salt, 

 306 mg. 



Composition of Norwegian root crops. — The investigation of Norwegian 

 root crops, begun in 1893, was continued, and 67 samples of different 

 kinds of roots analyzed. The average results of the analyses are shown 



below : 



Composition and yield of Norwegian root crops. 



— F. W. WOLL. 



The soluble starches, W. Syniewski (Ber. Bent. Cliem. Gesell., 30 

 (1897), No. Id, pp. 2415-2118). — The author suggests a new method for 

 the determination of soluble starches. Fifty grams of commercial 

 sodium peroxid is dissolved in 500 gm. of cold water and mixed with 

 50 gm. of potato starch in 500 gm. of water. The jelly-like mass, 

 which is filled with gas bubbles, is placed in cold water and shaken from 

 time to time. After an hour the mass becomes completely fiuid, the 

 vigorous evolution of gas which has kept up meanwhile forming a 

 scum on the surface of the liquid. A quantity of 95 per cent alcohol is 

 then added to the solution, which causes the formation of a tenacious, 

 sticky precipitate. The excess of solution is drawn off and the pre- 

 cipitate dissolved in cold water, the solution cooled, and acetic acid 

 added drop by drop until neutral. If too much alcohol has not been 

 used, hydrochloric acid may be used instead of acetic acid. The pre- 

 cipitate is again dissolved in water and acidified on cooling. After 

 repeated precipitation in this manner a solution is finally obtained 

 with scarcely a trace of ash. The water solution of this final product 



