1919] AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY AGROTECHNY. 117 



and transportation of the dried product. Compression of the dried vegetables 

 into bricks is recommended in the case of the more bulljy vegetables and a 

 simple hand press for the purpose is described and illustrated. 



Special directions are given for the drying of French beans, cabbage, egg- 

 plant, carrots, peas, kohl-rabi, onions, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, turnips, and 

 several native vegetables. General and special directions are included for cook- 

 ing the dried products. It is emphasized that all the vegetables, even those 

 which are ordinarily fried, must be boiled after soaking. 



Sirup from sugar beets, T. S. Parsons (Wyo. Farm Bui., 8 (1918), No. 5, pp. 

 67, 68). — It is stated that a satisfactory sirup can be made on a small scale by 

 boiling thinly sliced sugar beets for four hours in sufficient water to cover, 

 to which has been added one tablespoonful of white wine vinegar for each 

 beet. The liquid is then strained off and evaporated to a sirup. It is esti- 

 mated that 10 sugar beets will make sirup equivalent in sweetening power to 

 1 lb. of sugar. In Scotland the beet sirup is used quite extensively in jam 

 making. The fruit is added to the liquid after straining and the mixture 

 boiled down until the required consistency of the jam is reached. 



Utilization of Arum as a food and for the manufacture of starch, glucose, 

 and alcohol, E. Pantanelli ()S7a.c. St^er. Agr. Ital., 51 (1918), No. 1-2, pp. 69- 

 82, pi. 1 ) . — The possibility is suggested of utilizing the rhizomes of Arurth macu- 

 latum and A. italicum, two species of Arum growing wild in Italy, as a food 

 for man and for domestic animals, or as a commercial source of starch. From 

 laboratory tests it was estimated that a yield of 20 per cent starch, 20 per 

 cent glucose, or 11 per cent ethyl alcohol could be obtained on a commercial 

 scale. 



The preparation of xylose from corncobs, K. P. Monkoe {Jotir. Amer. Chem. 

 Sac, 41 (1919), No. 6, pp. 1002, 1003).— The method of preparing xylose from 

 corncobs, as described by Hudson and Harding (E. S. R., 40, p. 17), has been 

 improved by removing the adhesive gum by digestion with dilute alkali at 

 100° C. The residue yields on acid hydrolysis from 8 to 10 per cent of crystal- 

 line xylose of a quality superior to that obtained by the previous methods. 

 The technique of the method is described in detail. 



Salvaging rain-damaged prunes, W. V. Cruess (California Sta. Circ. 212 

 (1919), pp. 11, figs. 3). — The purpose of this circular is to call attention to the 

 damage to the California prune crop by the September rains of 1918, which 

 destroyed at least 50 per cent of the value of the prune crop, causing a loss 

 of probably not less than $5,000,000, and to offer suggestions for avoiding 

 such a loss in the future. 



Sulphuring the fruit on the trays for two or three hours, using hoods simi- 

 lar to thee one described by Bioletti (E. S. R., 41, p. 15), was found to check 

 the mold and yeast growth which caused most of the damage, and to make 

 it possible to dry the fruit without artificial heat. Fruit dried in this way is 

 said to be of a lighter color than fruit dried in tlie usual way but to be salable 

 and of excellent flavor. 



Investigations of the utilization of damaged fruit for alcohol, vinegar, and 

 sirup manufacture, and for hog feed are reported which indicate that in no 

 case would the returns be very large. Good results were obtained in the 

 use of damaged prunes in hog feed, provided no more than 15 per cent was 

 incorporated in the feed. 



Evaporators for prune drying, W. V., Cruess (California Sta. Circ. 213 

 (1919), pp. 30, figs. 18). — This circular gives the results of a study of the prin- 

 cipal evaporators in California, with a view to their more extended use in 

 supplementing sun drying during such emergencies as noted above. Better 



