AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY AGROTECHNY. 503 



"The diiistatic activity of alfalfa is greater in the morning or after a period 

 of darkness than after a period of exposure to light. There is much more 

 diastase present in the plant during the warm, active, growth-producing summer 

 than during the spring or fall. Young plants contain more diastase than older 

 ones. Drying at elevated temperatures in a humid atmosphere decreases the 

 diastatic activity, even though the temperature is only 50° F. Drying in a 

 current of air with gradually increasing temperature, on the other hand, 

 increases the activity markedly. Light and weathering in the field tend to 

 destroy the diastase, llaiu during curing is veiy detrimental. Highly diastatic 

 alfalfas generally show a greater solubility in water by autodigestlon than 

 samples low in diastase. However, the degree of solubility in water can not 

 be Increased above a certain limit. The loss in digestible constituents during 

 handling and curing in the field may vary from 20 per cent under favorable 

 conditions to as much as 50 per cent under adverse weather conditions. 



" Curing by artificial heat, using the principle of countercurrents, gives a 

 hay of better color, odor, and fiavor than can be produced by other means. 

 The hay appears to retain manj^ of the valuable properties of the green plant, 

 which are ordinarily lost in curing. The cost of artificial drying Is estimated 

 to be less than the losses generally sustained in field curing and, therefore, it 

 ought to be possible to conduct drying at a profit when the drier can be located 

 near both field and source of fuel." 



Concerning the presence of diastase in certain red alg'se, E. T. Bartholo- 

 mew {Bot. Ga-., 57 (IDUf), No. 2, pp. 136-1J,7).— "There is present in the red 

 algaj a diastase which will digest the starch of higher plants. The manner of 

 action of this euzym indicates that it is at least partially composed of a trans- 

 location diastase. The diastase of the red algfe, like that of the higher plants, 

 is probably not composed of a single enzym, but of a series of amylases and 

 dextrinases. Judging by the action of the algal extract upon cornstarch, the 

 diastase is a rather slow-working enzym. 



" The series of digestion processes resulting from the application of the 

 algal diastase to cornstarch would indicate that the subtance composing the 

 grains of the red algie is very similar to that of the starch grains of higher 

 plants." 



The survival of amylase in dried fodders, R. E. Neidig (Jour. Amer. Chcm. 

 Soc, 36 {1914), A^o. 6, pp. 13 12-131 J,). —The amylolytic activity of five dried 

 fodders about six months old, viz, two alfalfa hays, clover hay, timothy hay, 

 and corn stover, was calculated on the basis of 100 gm. of dry fodder, the 

 method of Sherman et al. (E. S. R., 24, p. 122) being used for determining the 

 amylolj-tic activity. " The addition of sodium phosphate and sodium chlorid as 

 electrolytes failed to increase the activity, probably because electrolytes were 

 abundantly present In the crude enzym preparations." 



The influence of the fat content of milk upon the rate of coagulation by 

 rennet, A. Kreidl and E. Lenk {Biochcm. Ztschr., 63 (1914), ^^o. 2-3, pp. 

 151-155, figs. 3). — Despite the fact that investigations have been made under 

 uniform conditions the coagulation time of milk by rennet was not found to be 

 constant. The rate is dependent upon the fat content of the milk, the time 

 required for coagulation increasing with the fat content. The work was done 

 with skim milk, whole milk, ordinary cream, and whipped cream. 



A contribution to the biochemistry of cheese ripening. — I, About the 

 occurrence of p-oxyphenylethylamin in normal cheese and its formation by 

 lactic acid bacteria, F. Ehrlich and F. Lange {Biochem. Ztschr., 63 {1914), 

 No. 2-3, pp. 156-169). — Lactic acid bacteria are said to form p-oxyphenylethyl- 

 amin from amino acids, i. e., tyrosin by the scission of carbon dioxid from the 



