110 EXPEEIMENT STATION EECORD. 



Presence of reducing- sugars in the fresh beet root: Influence of reducing 

 sugars on the direct determination of sucrose in the beet root. — Origin of 

 the reducing sugars that certain beet sugar factory products contain, H. 

 Pelli:t {Bui. Assoc. Chim. Sua: ct Distill., 3 {1912), No. 5, pp. 239-253; abs. in 

 Jour. Soc. CJicni. Indus., 32 {1913), No. 1, pp. 38, 39). — Experiments with roots 

 grown in France which wei'e in full vegetation in November and which had 

 been pulled and pressed in from half an hour to an hour have shown that 

 redTicing sugars are always present in the ripe root, though in small and 

 variable amount, the extreme differences found in good roots of high sucrose 

 content being from 0.05 to 0.27 gm. per 100 cc. of expressed juice. For low- 

 quality roots, likewise freshly picked, the reducing sugars may be as high as 

 from 2 to 2.5 gm. In the ease of sound roots preserved in silos, either in full 

 contact with air or covered with earth, the sucrose content gradually dimin- 

 ishes, but the reducing sugars generally remain within the limits of 0.15 and 

 0.25 gm. For injured or altered roots the reducing sugar content may rise 

 to 0.5 gm. 



In determining small amounts of reducing sugars in the beet, certain precau- 

 tions must be taken, the most important of them being to use for defecation 

 only normal lead acetate solution, otherwise a certain amount of the reducing 

 sugars, principally levulose, will be precipitated. 



As to the formation of reducing sugars during the process of manufacture, 

 the author states that with the modern method of sulphiting traces of reducing 

 sugars are formed and accumulate in the final molasses. This, it is stated, 

 often contains as much as from 0.3 to 0.5 per cent, even with careful working. 



The acid content of fruits, P. B. Dunbar and W. D. Bigelow {Abs. in Sci- 

 ence, n. ser., 38 {1913), No. 983, pp. 639, 640).— In this study the characteristic 

 acids of a large number of common fruits were identified and determined. 



" The acidity of plums, apples, and cherries appears to be due entix-ely to 

 malic acid which is probably present, for the most part, in the free state. Cur- 

 rants always contain citric acid, and may or may not contain malic acid. 

 Gooseberries contain large amounts of both malic and citric acids. In persim- 

 mons and bananas malic acid probably occurs alone. The pomegranate and 

 cantaloup contain citric acid, probably without malic acid. In the watermelon, 

 quince, and peach malic acid predominates, and citric acid is probably absent. 

 Cranberries contain both malic and citric acid. Red raspberries contain citric 

 acid, with malic acid present in traces, if at all. Blackberries contain citric 

 acid in some cases, while some samples contain traces of malic acid without 

 citric and in others neither malic nor citric acid could be identified. The 

 acid of the apricot has not been positively identified. There is present some 

 dextrorotatory acid whose rotation is increased by the addition of nranyl 

 acetate — possibly tartaric or dextromalic acid. The acid of the huckleberry 

 has not been positively identified. Traces of malic acid without citric appear 

 to be present. Tartaric acid was not found in any of the fruits examined, 

 with the possible exception of apricots. In the case of pears, Kieffer, Le Conte, 

 Idaho, and Bartlett contain little or no malic, while citric acid appears to 

 predominate. In all other varieties the acidity appears to be due mostly or 

 entirely to malic acid. 



" The paper also includes a review of the literature on the acidity of fruits, 

 with the results of various writers presented in tabular form." 



Changes taking place in grass during the process of curing, F. Fleisch- 

 MANN {Landw. Vers. Stat., 76 {1912), No. 3-6, pp. 237-W, figs, kl abs. in Chem. 

 Zentbl., 1912, I, No. 26, pp. 2058-2060).— Marked changes were found to take 

 place in grass even when cured under favorable conditions, consequently it 

 is believed incorrect to consider hay (Durrheu) as a green feed which contains 



