REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 



53 



Tho percentage of tannic acid found iu tlie leaves of Polygonum am- 

 phibmm is very much below tliat found by Prof. Samuel Aughey, of the 

 University of Nebraska. Tho sample wo esa.miaed had been collected 

 over a year, and was tho best we could obtain. We hope, however, to 

 be able to secure some fresh specimens in order to make new estima- 

 tions, since it is possible that on the account stated our results may be 

 low. 



AMERICAN WINES. 



Our collection for the International Exhibition contained a series of 

 specimens of American wines manufactured and contributed by Messrs. 

 Bush & Son, and Meissner, of Bushberg, Mo., and since the series con- 

 tained specimens made from all the varieties of grapes usually employed 

 in this country for tho purpose, and many made from varieties new to 

 wine manufacture, tho results of their analyses are considered of some 

 interest and value. Besides this, the wines being made by the same 

 l)arties are more likely to be subject to similar conditions in the process 

 of manufacture, and a comparison between them with reference to the 

 value of the grape becomes consequently more reliable. 



The names of the new varieties are printed in italics in the table. 



' Calculated aa dry tartaric. 

 MESEMERYANTHEMUM CRYSTALLINUM, 



This plant, which belongs to the natural order Ficoldecc, is found grow- 

 ing extensively iu marshes on the tide v/ater in tho vicinity of San Diego, 

 Cal., has in some sections been used for food, and iu the Canary Islands it 

 has been burned for the ashes, which, it was believed, contained a high 

 proportion of potash ; on this account they were transported to Spain and 

 sold there to be employed in glass manufacture. As a material for food, 

 it is always used in the young, green state, and necessarily so, since in 

 our analysis of the plant a preliminary examination revealed the presence 

 of a considerable quantity of oxalic acid in the full-grown plant submitted 

 for examination, This quantity was determined, and found to amount 

 to about 13. per cent.j reckoneci ag_HjC20<j,2HjOt 1^'or this purpose 



