THE PREPARATION OF FARM PRODUCTS. 293 



Acting upon this suggestion several bacteriologists have for 

 some years been studying the bacteria present upon the tobacco 

 leaves and their possible relation to fermentation. Bacteria 

 are found in abundance upon the leaves of fermented tobacco 

 and several distinct species have been isolated and carefully 

 studied. These species are partly common species found else- 

 where, but a part of them are peculiar to tobacco. Some of 

 them have been especially named, B. tobacci /., //., ///., IV. 

 and V., being names given to some of the peculiar types. 

 These are distinct species, belonging to well-known groups 

 (subtilis and protcns groups). It has been assumed that these 

 bacteria have probably an intimate relation to the fermentation 

 of tobacco, and experiments have been instituted in con- 

 siderable numbers with cultures of bacteria, found upon the 

 highly flavored Havana tobaccos, for artificially inoculating 

 tobaccos grown elsewhere, in the hope of developing the de- 

 sired flavors. The original investigator in this line was Suchs- 

 land but others have followed his suggestions. No very great 

 success has attended these experiments up to the present time. 

 The experimenters claim that they have succeeded in improv- 

 ing the flavors of the tobacco by the use of their cultures. 

 The species B. tobacci I. and //. have been said to give the 

 highest flavor, and to promise success in this line. The suc- 

 cess thus far attained has not, however, been sufficient to war- 

 rant the adoption of the methods in any except these some- 

 what doubtful laboratory experiments. 



Enzymes. While these bacteriologists were working upon 

 the problem of the relation of bacteria to the fermentation, 

 Loew undertook the investigation of the subject from the 

 standpoint of chemical enzymes, and succeeded readily enough 

 in showing that, at all events, the chief part of the fermenta- 

 tion must be attributed to enzymes rather than to bacterial 

 action. In the first place the extremely rapid rise in tempera- 

 ture is too high to be accounted for by ordinary bacterial ac- 



