AGRICULTUEAL CHEMISTRY AGEOTECHNY. 115 



The alcohol titration method of Luhuis (see p. 113) was tested on IIG samples 

 of market milk. No definite relation between the bacterial count and the alcohol 

 titration test was found. There was also no definite relation found between the 

 alcohol test and the acidity, until the acidity was more than al)out 2.2 per cent. 

 " If we were dealing with pure cultures of organisms which influence the alcohol 

 test the titration with alcohol might be of value iu giving an idea of the bac- 

 terial numbers from the results of experiments iu which we used pure cultures 

 of lactic acid and rennet-forming bacteria. In milk, however, we have a varied 

 bacterial flora to contend with and we can not see from our results that the 

 alcohol titration method is of much greater value than the simple alcohol test." 



With the alizarol test of Morres (see p. 112) all of the color changes de- 

 scribed by Morres could not be obtained. From the results obtained it is evi- 

 dent that the alizarol test will show slight changes when the acidity is low, 

 but that when the acidity is high it is not very sensitive. " In regard to the 

 value of the alizarol test, it is believed that wherever the alcohol test can be 

 considered of value, the addition of an indicator, such as alizarin, may increase 

 the value of the alcohol test by possibly giving additional information as to 

 acidit5% On account of the complexity of the bacterial fermentations in market 

 milk we do not believe that the alizarol test gives any very valuable informa- 

 tion as to the conditions existing in the milk." 



A bibliography of cited literature is appended. 



Some milk investigations with special reference to the value of the 

 rosolic acid-alcohol test, L. Bahr (Ztschr. Fleisch u. Mihlihyg., 24 (1914), 

 Nos. 10, pp. 228-233; 11, pp. 251-256; 16, pp. 370-376, figs. 4; 17, pp. 398-406; 

 20, pp. 472-477; ahs. in Berlin. Tierarztl. Wchnschr., 30 {1914), No. 44, p. 734).— 

 In examining the milk from 105 cows located in five establishments with the 

 losolic acid-alcohol test (E. S. E., 20, p. 87), about 1(5 per cent gave positive 

 reactions. This was especially true in those cases where the titer against nor- 

 mal alkali was somewhat below normal. The rosolic acid reaction probably 

 depends upon the presence of secondary or tertiary phosphates. 



Generally speaking, the results with the test compared well with the leucocyte 

 and catalase tests, which sometimes give a higher number of positive findings. 

 In the majority of the milks in which the rosolic acid-alcohol test was positive 

 the milk contained many bacteria, leucocytes, and fibrin. There were also 

 reactions obtained with milk from a cow in an advanced stage of lactation, 

 but this milk did not show a large amount of leucocytes or bacteria. A few 

 tests made with methylene blue indicated that it had no relation to the number 

 of bacteria present in the milk. 



The rosolic acid test may be employed for detecting cows affected with 

 mastitis, especially those in which it is not clinically manifest, and is con- 

 sidered a good barn test. The catalase test indicates a larger number of 

 animals giving pathological milk, and it is believed that this also may be so 

 arranged that it can be used as a practical test in the dairy barn. The bac- 

 teriological examination of the milks revealed that some of them contained 

 ordinary streptococci (mostly diplococci) .amongst which there was one type 

 which resembled the one causing mastitis. In a few cases a previously un- 

 described bacillus (Bacillus pseiidopyogenes laciis) was noted and in others 

 staphylococci and small nonacid-fast bacilli were found. 



The use of Kellner's modification of Petermann's method for the estima- 

 tion of citrate-soluble phosphoric acid in feed limes, Loges (Landiv. Vers. 

 Stat., 85 (1914), ^0. 3-5, pp. 218-226) .—This is a report made to the German 

 Association of Agricultural Experiment Stations. It is stated that duplicate 

 results can only be obtained when the mixture is shaken the same length of 

 time in each case. 



