764 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.43 



per cent of protein. By replacing some of the 25 per cent peanut bread by 

 starch, a diet including the peanut-llour bread and furnishing only 10 per 

 cent protein was obtained. 



The rats fed on the diet containing bread from the war flour grew at ap- 

 proximately one-third to two-thirds of the normal rate. Those fed on the 

 straight flour bread diet grew at a somewhat better thougli not normal rate. 

 Normal growth was obtained with rats fed on a diet of which 12 per cent of 

 pux-ified casein replaced an equivalent amount of bread, thus indicating that 

 the previous failure was not due to a lack of water-soluble vitamin. 



The animals fed on diets containing 25 per cent peanut bread and furnishing 

 from 16.3 to 1G.8 per cent of protein grew normally, as did those on the diet 

 furnishing 10 per cent of protein. In the latter case there was slight retarda- 

 tion of growth at first. Growth at nearly the normal rate was also obtained 

 with the 15 per cent peanut bread. 



The efiiciencies of the proteins in the different breads, calculated according 

 to the method described by Osborne, Mendel, and Ferry (E. S. R., 40, p. 7G5), 

 for 4 weeks" periods in the case of the 25 per cent peanut bread furnishing 16.8 

 and 10 per cent of protein and the wheat bread (war flour) furnishing 10 per 

 cent of protein were 1.42, 3.14, and 1.04 gm., respectively. Corresponding values 

 for a 10 weeks' period were 0.97, 1.91, and 0.99 gm. While these results are 

 only approximate, they are considered to indicate the value of peanut flour as 

 a supplement to wheat flour in bread making. 



Baking qualities of flour, G. A. Olson {Washington Sta. Bui. 155 {1920), 

 pp. 15, 16). — This is a progress report of investigations relating to the baking 

 qualities of flour, the determinations undertaken including a study of the 

 nitrogen content, specific conductivity, and viscosity of the carbon dioxid-free 

 distilled water extract, 50 per cent alcoholic extract and 70 per cent alcoholic 

 extract of the flours examined, and the specific conductivity and viscosity of 

 the mineral matter contained in the various extracts. The glutens were ex- 

 amined for hydration capacity, nitrogen, ash, expansibility, and acid hydrolysis. 

 The specific conductivity was also determined of organic and inorganic acids in 

 which the glutens were immersed for different intervals of time. 



The specific conductivities of the water extract of the flours were of the same 

 order as that of the alcoholic extracts. The specific conductivity was highest 

 in the case of the 70 per cent alcoholic extract and lowest in the water extract. 

 In general, the viscosity of the extracts varied in the same order as the specific 

 conductivity. 



The volume per gram of expanded gluten when immersed in n/100 sulphuric 

 acid varied directly as the conductivity, while corresponding volumes of 

 gluten immersed in n/100 lactic and citric acids varied inversely with the con- 

 ductivity. The purity of the glutens was inversely proportional to the ex- 

 pansion per gram of baked gluten, and was proportional to the amount of 

 amino nitrogen in the gluten. The percentage of dry gluten and the ratio of 

 the water-soluble nitrogen of the flour to the amino nitrogen of the gluten 

 were inversely proportional to the purity of the gluten. 



[Miscellaneous food analyses], A. E. Vinson and C. N. Catlin {Arizona 

 Sta. Rpt. 1918, pp. 3^5, 346). — Analyses of barley flour are reported, as well as 

 findings with samples of corn meal and cocoa suspected of containing ground 

 glass. 



Note on the fat-soluble grovpth-promoting substance in lard and cotton- 

 seed oil, A. L. Daniels and R. Loughlin {Jour. Biol. Chem., 42 {1920), No. S, 

 pp. 359-362, figs. S). — Evidence is furnished that commercial lard and cottonseed 

 oil contain appreciable amounts of fat-soluble vitamin, demonstrable, however, 

 only when fairly large amounts are fed. 



