CHEMISTRY. 741 



are thus a much less kittening and a more muscle-forming food than maize contain- 

 ing only 10 per cent of proteids, and may therefore, for instance, be safely used a- a 

 substitute for wheat for poultr 7 feed." 



According to average figures reported, the wheat contained 11.09 per cent moisture, 

 14.7'» per cent protein. 2.1 8 per cent fat, hl'. 4 per cent carbohydrates, and 1.31 per 

 cent ash. Considerable variation in protein content was noticed with the different 

 samples, but on an average the proportion of this constituent \va.- greater, according 

 to the author, than in Continental or American wheats. The average amount of fat 

 was somewhat higher than in Continental, but a little lower than in American 

 wheats. The fact is recognized that the analytical data reported do not determine 

 milling qualities. The lecithin varied from 0.271 to 1.012 per cent of the dry sub- 

 stance in the case of wheat and from 0.174 to 0.4*2 per cent in the ca-e of maize. 



Judged by the chemical composition, flavor, and the favor with which they are 

 regarded where known, the author believes that Cape gooseberries are highly satis- 

 factory for the manufacture of pulp for use in jam anil preserve making. The pine- 

 apple studies reported have to do with pineapple disease, though definite conclu- 

 ar.- not drawn. 



A special study i.« reported of Soudanese millet and Borghum, made to secure data 

 regarding the poison* >ua properties sometimes exhibited by such plants. Unmanured 

 Soudanese millet I green material | contained no hydrocyanic add when 6 weeks old. 

 0.0063 percent at 8 week-, and 0.0011 per cent at 10 weeks. Similar values for speci- 

 mens grown on land manured with 6 cwt. of nitrate of S"da per acre were 0.0102. 

 0.0090, and 0.0066 per cent. "The result of this work was very instructive, and 

 shows that the higher cultivated fodder plants of the sorghum family are not so dan- 

 gerous in their earlier stages as the common variety usually grown by our Queens- 

 land farmers. It was also again borne out that vigorous growth, particularly on land 

 manured with nitrogenous manure, produces the hydrocyanic or prussic acid yielding 

 glucoside in larger proportion." 



The amount of hydrocyanic acid found in sorghum varied with different varieties, 

 the greatest amount reported being 0.81 grains per pound of trreen material. Gener- 

 ally speaking, the older plants contained less than the younger plants. " The highest 

 amount previously found was 2.4 grains }>er pound of the green material, or 13.4 

 grains per pound of the dry material in 5-weeks-old Planter's Friend. The use : 

 such green fodder would be highly dangerous, but as soon as the amount has fallen 

 under 0.5 grain per pound in the green material the folder may safely be used." 



Cucurbits as oil plants, M. Egokov /:<■. M - . Khoz. huL [Ann. Inst. 



Agron. Moscou], 10 {1904 N • PP- 848-357). — The oil was obtained from the 

 ground seeds of squashes and pumpkins by extraction with ether. A physical and 

 chemical examination of the oil gave the following data: Specific gravity at C I .. 

 0.9558; specific gravity at 16.5 I . 1519; coefficient of viscosity at 16.5° C. 13.5; 

 Reichert number, 1.36; acid number, 0.H173: Kdttstorfer Dumber, 195. oS: ether 

 number, 194.96, and iodin number, 115.52. The glycerin content was 15.9 per cent. 



A study of the composition of the glycerids of the oil showed that volatile acids 

 were present only in traces, the largest part of the nonvolatile acids were liquids, 

 the solid acids consisted of palmitic and stearic acids, while the liquid acids included 

 oleic and linoleic acids. The probable presence of butyric acid was indicated by the 



Odor. — P. FIREMAN. 



The occurrence of phloroglucin in plants. C. Hartwich and M. Wixckel 

 { Arr/i. Ph'iriii.. . . No. 6, pp. 469— 475 . — Studies are reported which have to 



do with the presence of phloroglucin or bodies yielding phloroglucin in a number 

 of vegetable produ* - 



The nature of raw starch grains. L. Maquknne Oompt. Rend. Acad. s 

 [Paris]. ; . No. ■ . pp. ■■?-'-■ 77). — The author regards starch grains as a 



reversion product, i. e.. a formation of insoluble amylocellulose from soluble starch. 



