AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY. ll 



betwoen 2 porcelain slabs. A matlieiiiatical formula is lU'oiiosed for use in cal- 

 culating from measured data tlie power of flour to absorb water. 



Microscopical examination of wheat flour, especially for the detection of 

 rice and bean flour, .J. F.ellier (Ann. Cliini. AndUjt., 12 {UHH), No. 6, pp. 22'i- 

 22S). — The data reported have to do with the characteristics of different sorts 

 of flour examined with a microscope and are discussed with special reference 

 to the detection of adulteration of wheat flour. 



Adulteration of chocolate with potato starch, A. Paladino-Blandini 

 (Naples, 1907, pp. 3; xcpanitc from (Uiz. Internaz. Med., 10, 1907). — The data 

 reported have to do with the detection of potato starch in chocolate. 



Concerning' the acid content of honey, Utz (Pharin. Post, J/l (1908), Nos. 6, 

 pp. 69, 70; 7, pp. Sl~83). — The author determined the acid content of 175 

 samples of honey, most of them of German origin. He found that the acid 

 content, expressed as formic acid, varied decidedly from the values given in 

 the literature of the subject, ranging in the samples analyzed from 0.0644 to 

 0.3.312 per cent. He also concludes that heating honey on a water bath dimin- 

 ishes the amount of free acid present and that this loss is more noticeable if 

 the honey is heated over a free flame. 



Concerning- the mineral matter in honey, Utz (Ztschr. Angew. Chcm., 20 

 (J 907), No. 51, pp. 2222-2225; 21 (1908), No. 17, pp. 780-78/ ) .—Examination 

 of 131 samples of German honey from different regions showed a range of 

 0.013 to 0.703 per cent, the mean average value being 0.3.58 per cent ash. 

 Eighteen samples of honey from other regions contained from 0.0.51 to 0.306 per 

 cent. 



Concerning the mineral matter in honey, F. Schwarz (Ztschr. Angew. 

 Cliem., 21 (1908), No. 10, pp. Ji30-Jt39).— The author does not agree with Utz's 

 conclusion regarding the ash content of honey (see above). Basing his con- 

 clusions upon the examination of 374 samples he believes that the ash content 

 of pure honey is not less than 0.1 per cent and that when it falls below this 

 value the material is either adulterated or very suspicious. In his opinion, 

 determining the ash content is an important method of .iudging of the purity 

 of honey. 



Biological method for determining the presence of horse meat, Weidanz 

 (Ztschr. Fleisch u. MUchhyg., 18 (1907), No. 3, pp. 73-78).— On the basis of 

 investigation, the author concludes that the biological method gives satisfactory 

 results. 



A practical method for the detection of beef fat in lard, J. A. Emery ( U. S, 

 Dept. Agr.. Bur. Anhn. Indus. Circ. 132, pp. 9). — The method described consists 

 in determining the melting point of the solid glycerids of the sample, obtained 

 by crystallization from ether. It depends on the fact that although under like 

 conditions of crystallization there is a uniformity in such value for lard, and 

 also in that for beef tallow or oleostearin, the melting point is lower for the 

 latter than for the former, and for a mixture of the two lies somewhere be- 

 tween the values for the pure fats. The technique of the method and the 

 determination of the melting point are described, possible sources of error are 

 mentioned, and some results of the practical application of the method are 

 given. 



In conclusion the author states that the method " has afforded very good 

 results both in his hands and in those of a number of his coworkers and is 

 considerably shorter than the method* proposed by I^eys. 



"The application of both of these methods has proven efficient in detecting 

 added beef in samples of suspected 'pork sausage.' The fat was obtained by 

 subjecting the meat to a temperature of 125° C, and then pouring off and fil- 

 tering the separated melted fat. 



