New YorK AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 19 
_ The science and practice of making cider-vinegar.—tIn response 
to numerous inquiries made by farmers as to why their home- 
made cider-vinegar was so often below the legal standard, an in- 
vestigation was begun seven years ago having for its object a 
thorough study of the vinegar-making process, starting with ma- 
terial known to be normal. Some 36 experiments were made in 
the investigation. The composition of apple juice is given for a 
large number of different varieties of apples. The chemical 
changes of apple juice under different conditions during the alco- 
holie and acetic stages of fermentation were studied and a prac- 
tical application made to the relations and control of those fer- 
mentations in making cider-vinegar. Attention is called to the 
fact that good vinegar may loose its acidity on standing. 
The causes and remedies are given. Other topics treated 
in this work are the behavior of malic acid during fer- 
mentations, the solids of apple juice and cider-vinegar, cider- 
vinegar in relation to legal standards, conditions commonly pro- 
ducing cider-vinegar of poor quality, and directions for home- 
manufacture of cider-vinegar. 
Study of the principal phosphorus compound of wheat bran.— 
As a necessary part of an extended investigation of the meta- 
bolism and function of phosphorus compounds in the nutrition of 
the milch cow, a study was made of the principal phosphorus com- 
pound of wheat bran. It was found to be undoubtedly a pre- 
viously known non-nitrogenous body with the formula C, H, P, O, 
or anhydro-oxmethelene-diphosphoric acid. Since this body was 
identified investigations have been conducted which indicate that 
it may occupy a peculiar place in the nutrition of the cow. Fur- 
ther observations are planned with reference to the elucidation 
of this point. 
DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY. a 
The lime-sulphur-soda wash for orchard treatment.—The inves- 
tigations to determine the value of this spray for orchard treat- 
ment have been continued. Applications of the wash for the 
control of the scale gave somewhat variable results which indi- 
cate that the various preparations were not always equally 
destructive to the scale. Some treatments proved very effective, 
showing that an efficient spray may be prepared without the use 
