104 KANSAS Academy of Science. 



The above shows that the hackberry knot occurs in the extreme eastern portion 



of the State, and extends westward nearly or quite as far as the forest vegetation 

 occurs. 



It has been reported by Geo. F. Ingram as occurring in Texas. 



Prof. Halsted reports it at Ames, Iowa. (See Journal of Mycology, vol. V [1889], 

 p. 85.) 



It occurs, according to W. E. Castle, very abundantly in central Ohio ( Licking 

 county). 



The statement in the First Annual Report, Kansas Experiment Station, p. 302, 

 that the trees "in the dense forest woods are seldom attacked," needs, perhaps, slight 

 modification. In numerous cases the knots have been observed, often in great 

 abundance, in the native forests along the various streams of water in the vicinity 

 of Manhattan. 



Isolated trees are often badly attacked and soon very much disfigured. The 

 knots, when noticed on trees planted in streets or yards for shade or ornament, 

 should be promptly removed and burned. 



The plates here reprinted are made from photographs of branches with knots, 

 and show their usual appearance. 



THE RELATIVE SWEETNESS OF DIFFERENT ALCOHOLS. 



BY EDWIN E. SLOSSON, LAWKENOE. 



The present investigation was undertaken to ascertain if there is any relation 

 between the taste of organic compounds and their chemical composition. It was 

 thought that sweetness would be the best to experiment with, on account of its 

 simplicity and the homologous series of sweet compounds that could be obtained. 

 Two homologous series of alcohols were chosen, and dilute solutions of each com- 

 pound prepared, ranging from two per cent, to one-tenth per cent. These were put 

 into bottles of the same form, and several bottles of pure water added. A number 

 of persons were then asked to taste these solutions and pick out those that were 

 sweets, paying no attention to any other taste. In order to avoid complication 

 with the sense of smell, the tasters were required to stop the nose. By this pre- 

 caution, the spirituous taste, or rather smell, and the empyreumatic odor of methyl 

 alcohol, were almost entirely avoided. Many persons, however, were prevented from 

 detecting any sweetness in propyl and butyl alcohols by the bitter and acid-like 

 tastes. The sense of taste differs widely with different people, some being able to 

 detect sweetness in solutions sixteen times more dilute than the weakest picked out 

 by others. Cultivation of the sense greatly increases its power. It was noticed 

 that the pharmacy students taste weaker solutions, and with much more accuracy, 

 than collegiate students. It seems, too, that people do not agree in their ideas of 

 what sweetness is. A part of the variation in results may also be accounted for by 

 the fact that some kept the liquid on the upper surface of the tongue, for the sense 

 of taste for sweetness is more delicate on the sides of the tongue. 



The first alcohols tested were those of the series Cn H2n| 20, the monohydroxy 

 alcohols of the paraffin group. The average strength of the weakest solutions in 

 which sweetness could be tasted was: 



Methyl alcohol CH3OH 1 part in 45. 



Ethyl alcohol C2H5OH 1 part in 41. 



Propyl alcohol C.,H-OH 1 part in 53. 



Butyl alcohol C.iHgOH 1 part in 39. 



Amyl alcohol C5H11OH None. 



