264 EXPEEIMENT STATION EECOKD. 



best known commercial varieties of red peppers in order to ascertain the char- 

 acteristic properties of each pi;rt and thus secure information which would 

 lead to the detection of the presence of abnormal amounts of seeds and stems. 

 The study embraces analyses of nearly all the commercial varieties of red 

 pepper, including the African and the Japanese cayenne or chillies, the Hun- 

 garian paprik;,, and the Spanish pimenton, or pimiento. 



Cayenne or chiiii is a small fruited pepper, a variety of Capsicum fru- 

 tescens, indigenous to tropical America, but now grown or cultivated in nearly 

 all tropical or subtropical countries. This pepper is characterized by the small 

 size of the pods and their extreme pungency. The leading commercial varieties 

 in 1911, according to the authors, were the African and the Japanese. 



Paprika, according to the authors, " is a large fruited pepper, grown in Hun- 

 gary, a variety of Capsicum annunm. a species of Capsicum, which is a genus 

 of the family Solanaceae. When powdered, it has a deep red color and a sweet- 

 ish, mildly pungent flavor. Its origin is somewhat obscure, but it apparently 

 originated in America, whence it can be traced from Spain, through Greece and 

 Turkey, to Hungai'y. It has been A'ariously designated as Turkish pepper or 

 paprika, Hungarian pepper or paprika, or garden pepper." 



With reference to the proper terminology of the third kind of pepper con- 

 sidered, the authors note that pimenton, or pimiento, is the accurate name for 

 the large fruited pepper, a variety of Capsicum annuum, grown in Spain. The 

 succulent pericarp of it is much used for stuffing olives and for other purposes, 

 while the dried pod is ground as a spice. " ' Pimenton ' should not be Con- 

 fused with 'pimento '.or ' pimenta,' which is applied to Jamaica pepper or 

 allspice. 'Pimenton' is the definite term used to designate the Spanish prod- 

 uct, when ground." 



In general, the analytical data showed the impracticability of having a single 

 standard for the various sorts. Each type should be judged in comparison with 

 samples of the same sort from a known source. 



" It appears that climatic and cultural conditions undoubtedly have a great 

 effect not only on the quality of the pepper but also on the amount of sand or 

 ash which may be present." 



An extended bibliography is appended. 



The induction of nonastringency in persimmons at supranornial pressures 

 of carbon dioxid, F. E. Llovd (Science, n. so:, 87 (1913), Nn. 9//.5, pp. 228- 

 232). — This paper is concerned chiefly with the relation, in the induction of 

 nonastringency, between pressure and time of treatment. A test for astringeney 

 is described which is based on the reaction of the tannin mass of the persim- 

 mons with alkaloids. See also a previous note (E. S. R., 26, p. 327). 



Soaking nuts, M. Frehse (Ann. FaUif., 6 (1913), No. 5J,, pp. 163, IGff).— 

 The experiments here reported were designed to show the changes in weight 

 and appearance of nuts subjected to soaking for different periods and to suggest 

 means of detecting the practice. 



The author finds that the gain in weight from soaking is fi'om 20 to 4.1 per 

 cent. Means of recognizing soaked nuts, aside from the general ones of exter- 

 nal and internal appearance, are (1) tlie perceptible exudation of water when 

 a joint between two parts of the shell is pricked and (2) the fact that soaked 

 nuts dry much more rapidly than fresh ones. 



The manufacture of preserved foods and sweetmeats, A. Hausner, trans. 

 by A. Morris and H. Robson (London, 1912, 2. Eng. ed.. pp. VIII+238+2Ji. figs. 

 28). — The author states that this, the second English edition of a book previ- 

 ously reviewed CE. S. R., 14, p. 787). has been thoroughly revised. 



The question of sulphurous acid in v/hite wines, P. Malvezin (A1)s. in Orig. 

 Commun. S. Internat. Cong. Appl. Chem. [Washington and New York], 19 



