204 



Journal of Agricultural Research voi. xviii. no. 4 



The same procedure was presently followed, using the spores of Asper- 

 gillus flavus as an inoculum to the extent of 300,000 per cubic centi- 

 meter. The results are to be found in Table IX. 



Table IX. — Analyses of 10 and 20 per cent sugar solutions inoculated with spores of 



Aspergillus flavus 



lO PER CENT SUGAR SOLUTION 



20 PER CENT SUGAR SOLUTION 



10 cc. sterile water heated to 63° C. . . . 

 10 cc. sterile water heated to 100° C. . . 



10 cc. spores heated to 100° C 



S cc. spores heated to 63° C 



10 cc. spores heated to 63° C 



20 cc. spores heated to 63° C 



3. 06 

 . 12 

 .16 



It will be seen that there was a slight gain in reducing sugars in both 

 10 and 20 per cent sugar solutions inoculated with spores of Aspergillus 

 flavus heated to 63° C. The polarization values are all within experi- 

 mental error. Upon longer incubation only negligible differences were 

 obtained, which makes it superfluous to record the results. Suffice it 

 to say that one may conclude from the above data that the spores of 

 Aspergillus flavus contain very little, if any, invertase. 



It is of special interest to consider this problem with regard to the 

 spores Aspergillus sydowi, because it has been shown by us ^ that this 

 mold not only occurs with greatest frequency on all types of sugar 

 investigated but furthermore has the greatest deteriorative power of all 

 of the molds isolated. The inoculum used in the present instance con- 

 tained 600,000 spores per cubic centimeter. The results obtained with 

 it are recorded in Table X. 



After three hours' incubation there was a loss of sucrose in both 10' and 

 20 per cent sugar solutions with 10 and 20 cc, of inoculum. This was 

 further emphasized at the end of two days, when losses of 1.5 and 2 per 

 cent sucrose are to be noted with 20 cc. of inoculum in the 10 and 20 per 

 cent sugar solutions, respectively. The striking fact encountered was that 



' KoPELOFF, Nicholas, and Kopelofp, Lillian, op cit. 



