410 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



acid is, according to tlie author, entitled to consideration "as a promising sub- 

 stitute for neutral aumioniuni citrate solution, as it not only gives results sub- 

 stantially identical with those obtained with the present official reagent for 

 determining insoluble phosphoric acid, but has, moreover, at least two important 

 advantages over ammonium citrate. Tenth-normal citric acid is much more 

 easily prepai'ed and standardized than neutral ammonium citrate solution. 

 Extraction with tenth-normal citric acid is as easy and rapid as with hot water, 

 the time of filtration, particularly in bone, tankage, and complete fertilizers, 

 being cut down to a veiy few minutes." 



The composition of lime-sulphur solutions, F. Thompson and A. C. Whit- 

 TiEB {Dcluicarc Uta. Bui. 105 (I'JJ.'f), pp. 3-.iO, figs. 2). — In most work hitherto 

 published on the composition of lime-sulphur solutions the methods employed 

 were based on the assumption that only thiosulphate and polysulphids of calcium 

 are present in these solutions, with possible traces of sulphite and sulphate. 



" Lime-sulphur solutions consist principally of pentasulphid and thiosulphate 

 of calcium, but may contain hydrosulphids, oxysulphids, free sulphur in solu- 

 tion, and free lime, depending upon the method used in making tliem. Calcium 

 pentasul])hid is the only true polysulphid present. When the ratio of lime to 

 sulphur is 1:2.25, the preparation consists of pure calcium pentasulphid and 

 calcium thiosulphate, the reaction being expressed by the equation, 3Ca(OH)2+ 

 12S=CaS6+CaS203+oH:;0. When the proportion of lime used is greater than 

 that expressed by the ratio 1 : 2.25, oxysulphids and hydrosulphids are formed and 

 free lime appears in the solution and the ratio of mono- to polysulphid falls 

 below 1 : 5. When the proportion of sulphur used is greater than that expressed 

 by the ratio 1 : 2.25, free sulphur is found in the solution and the ratio of mono- 

 to polysulphid sulphur increases above 1 : 5. 



" On long-continued boiling lime-sulphur solutions decompose completely with 

 the formation of hydrogen sulphid, calcium sulphite, free sulphur, and calcium 

 thiosulphate. On oxidation in the air at ordinaiy temperatures lime-sulphur 

 solutions are completely decomposed with the formation of calcium thiosulphate 

 and free sulphur, no sulphite and very little hydrogen sulphid being formed. 

 The presence of magnesia is without effect in the making of lime-sulphur solu- 

 tions excepting as a diluent of the lime. Self-boiled lime-sulphur solutions differ 

 from the concentrated preparations in containing large quantities of free lime in 

 solution. Injury to foliage when used as a summer spray is decreased by the 

 presence of free lime in solution. Lime-sulphur solutions never contain sulphites 

 in solution." 



The occurrence of raethyl alcohol in corn silage, E. B. Hakt and A. R. 

 Lamb {Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc, 36 {WW, A'o. 10, pp. 2114-2118).— In this 

 w'ork normal silage was found to contain small amounts of methyl alcohol. 

 A number of tests were made of the distillates from several samples of silage, 

 the tests being first standardized by using various known mixtures of alcohol. 

 The hypothesis is advanced that at least a part of the methyl alcohol is formed 

 through the agency of micro-organisms acting on glycin. The work thus far 

 with water cultures and experimental silage has given results which supports 

 this hypothesis. 



See also previous notes (E. S. E., 28, pp. 109, COS, 009). 



Enzyms present in alfalfa. — Alfalfa investig'ation, V, C. A. Jacobson and 

 A. Holmes {Jour. Amcr. CItcm. .S'oc, 36 {Wl-'t), No. 10, pp. 2170-2182) .—This is 

 a continuation of investigations reporteil previously (E. S. R., 28, p. 710). 



"The present investigation was designed to cover the more common enzyms 

 eucoimtered in vegetable juices and extracts, but no attempt has been made to 

 isolate the different ones from their media, nor to study them in minute detail. 



