350 REPORT OF THE COMMISSlONfitt 05* AGRICULTURE. 



ANALYSES OF APPLES. 

 By Edgar Richards. 



During September to October, 1885, an investigation was unde- 

 taken by the force in this Division to study the change;^ undergolie by- 

 apples in drying. Some 22 samples of apples bought in the local 

 markets were analyzed, and the results will be f oUnd in the annexed 

 table. 



METHOD OF ANALYSIS, 



From 5 to 10 apples were taken for analysis; the fruit was weighed, 

 then pared in an apple-parer, and reweighed. The J30cled apple.'^; were 

 cored by the ordinary culinary instrument for that purposer, then sliced 

 up, a weighed quantity taken for drying, and the remainder used 

 for the analysis of the fresh fruit. The sliced fruit was thoroughly 

 mixed, so as to obtain a good average sample. 



The drying was conducted in the large steam-oven at a tcitipefa^ 

 ture of 60° to 70° C. for twenty-four hours, care being taken tonav^ 

 a good circulation of air passing over the wire-gauze trays in which 

 the samj)les were kept, in order to conform as nearly as possible to 

 the usual method pursued with commercial fruit-evaporators. By 

 this treatment an average of 96.03 per cent, of the total moistufe 

 contained in the sample was driven off. 



After drying the fruit was reweighed and placed in glass-stop- 

 pered bottles, to prevent the sample from absorbing moisture, as the 

 dried fruit was found to be quite hygroscopic if exposed for any 

 length of time to the atmosphere. t 



On the fresh sample the following determinations were made: 



^1^ Loss on drying to constant weight at 110° C. 



(2) Sucrose by extraction. 



(3) Glucose by extraction. 



(4) Fiber. 



f5) Total solids and ash. 



(6) Albuminoids by drying at 110° C, but not to constant weight, 

 and combustion with soda-lime. 



N 



(7) Malic acid with -v soda. 



(8) Specific gravity of the entire apple. 



There was much difficulty in obtaining a suitable solution for the 

 determination of the sugars by polarization or with Fehling's solu- 

 tion, as digestion of the sample with water in a closed bottle was 

 found to dissolve the pectin, which rendered filtration, either UUder 

 pressure or through paper, almost impossible. Glass wool, asbestus, 

 linen, and charcoal were also tried, but unsuccessfully. The follow- 

 ing method was finally adopted : 



A weighed quantity of the sliced apples was digested for an hour 

 in stoppered bottles, cooled, and the bottles then filled to the mark, 

 250 cubic centimeters ; 20 cubic centimeters of the somewhat gummy 

 solution was taken with a pipette and diluted to 100 cubic centimeters, 

 and with this latter solution the determinations were made with 

 Fehling's solution as usual. 



The use of the polariscope was given up, as it was found extremely 

 difficult to obtain a clarified solution, and when obtained the malic 

 acid contained in the apples introduced a cause of error into the 



