908 EXPERIMENT STATION KECORD. 



sii«iir, 11it> iiillueiico of (.•oiK'Oiili-Mlioii <ni tlif (M|iiililiriiiiu lictwccii tJio foruis of 

 luilk suj,'iir. and oilier siiiiil;ir (incstioiis were studied. 



On the sugar of colostrums, J. Skuklikn iiiid E. Sundk (Ztschr. Angew. 

 C'lioti., 21 (W08), Xo. 50, PI). 2.'>.'i<i-255J).—Vn\\kii the fats and jiroteids the car- 

 bohydrates of colostrum are siiiiiliir to those of normal milk. 



Preparation of a standard solution of litmus and the making of litmus 

 media, C W. Bkown {Mivhiyun tita. Rpi. J'JOS, pp. 121-1 2i>). — A standard was 

 prepared by dissolving 2.5 gm. of azolitmin in 100 cm. of distilled water. 

 Litmus was then dissolved in distilled water, heated, filtered, and the filtrate 

 compared with th6 standard. From experiments with different samples of 

 litnuis it ai>i)eared that there was a close correspondence between the solubility 

 and the strength of the blue solution. 



The determination of nitrogen, F. Taueke (Chem. Ztg., 32 (1908), No. 97, 

 J), ma; al)!,: in Jour. Chciii. >S'oc. [London], 96 {1909), No. 555, II, pp. 91, 92; 

 (J hem. Ahs., 3 {1909), No. 7, p. 759). — The author proposes to use in the 

 Kjeldahl method a burette graduated as usual on one side from to 50 cc. and 

 on the other from 25 cc. at the top to at the bottom. Using half-normal acid, 

 fourth-normal alkali, and an aliquot of solution corresponding to 0.7 gm. of 

 substance the readings of the latter scale give percentage of nitrogen directly. 



Report of the committee on the analysis of phosphate rock, C. F. Hage- 

 DOKN KT AL. (Joitr. Indiis. and Enfjin. Chem., 1 {1909), No. I, pp. Jfl-J/^). — This 

 is a summary of the rejiort of the committee on this subject appointed by the 

 National Fertilizer Association. 



Comparative tests by a number of different analysts of the official gravi- 

 metric method, the so-called Pemberton volumetric method, the citrate method, 

 and the Gladding method for phosphoric acid, and the Smith, Gladding, acetate, 

 Glaser, and Wyatt methods for iron and alumnia are reported. 



Good results with the A-olumetric and the Gladding methods are reported, 

 but the conclusion reached is that " at this time there are not sufficient reasons 

 for substituting either of these for the present official method. 



•' In the case of the methods for iron and alumina, the results indicate that the 

 niethods most generally used are those employing a KOH solution in the sepa- 

 ration of the iron from the alumina, viz, the Smith and the Gladding methods. 

 In the other methods, the iron and alumina was determined by weighing the 

 combined phosphates. Of these the acetate and the Glaser methods are the 

 most important, and it is our opinion that some modification of the acetate 

 method could be worked out which would be extremely satisfactory, as it ap- 

 peals to chemists on account of its simplicity as comjKired with other methods." 



Volumetric determination of phosphoric acid in fertilizers, R. Williams 

 (Chem. Engin., 8 (1908), pp. 97-99; abs. inAnah/st. 33 ( 1908), No. 393, p. .',S3).— 

 Objections to the American official volumetric molybdate method are stated and 

 modifications of the method to overcome these objections are described. 



In the modified method the total phosphate is pi'ecipitated in an aliquot part 

 of the acid solution containing as slight an excess of acid as possible, by adding 

 1 cc. of mixed ferric and calcium chlorids (10 per cent of each in solution) and 

 sufficient ammonia to render the solution slightly alkaline; 150 cc. of boiling 

 water is then added, the liquid allowed to settle, and filtered. The precipitate 

 is washed once with hot water, then dissolved in 100 to 125 cc. of hot dilute 

 nitric acid (70 cc. of strong acid in 1 liter). The solution is nearly neutralized 

 with ammonia, precipitated with 30 to 35 cc. of molybdate solution, added to 

 the stirred hot liquid, and the process carried out as in the official method. 



The determination of cotton-seed hulls in cotton-seed meal, G. S. Fraps 

 (Amcr. Fcrf., 29 (1908), No. 6, pp. 30, 3i).— Xoted from another source (E. S. 

 R., 20, p. 510). 



