Agricultural and Biological Chemistry 



Analysis of Forage Samples 



For the past three years changes 

 in the carotene and protein content 

 of timothy, alsike, ladino and red 

 clovers have been followed through 

 different methods of preservation. In 

 1948 and 1949 ensiling was com- 

 pared with mow drying and field 

 curing. All four species lost the least 

 amount of carotene when preserved 

 as silage, with mow drying in sec- 

 ond place. Ladino lost the least 

 amount of carotene in the silo, while 

 red clover lost the most. 



In 1950 three ensiling methods, 

 i.e., plain, SOo and molasses treated, 

 were compared with field curing us- 

 ing timothy, alsike, and red clover. 

 Silage preserved with SO2 lost the 

 least amount of carotene. 



There were no significant changes 

 in protein during any year. 



In 1951 alfalfa and brome grass 

 were added to the list of species 

 used in the comparison of SO2 pre- 

 served versus untreated, both loose 

 and packed, as well as the standard 

 mow and field curing. 



G. P. Percival 



D. JOSSELYN 



Chemical Studies Concerning 

 The Determination of 

 Ascorbic Acid in Foods 



Two varieties of strawberries were 

 studied this year, the Catskill, in- 

 vestigated previously, serving as a 

 control, and a new variety developed 

 at the University, the Great Bay. 

 Changes noted during storage of 

 frozen Catskill berries were similar 

 to those noted in the past — very 

 little change in composition of un- 

 sugared berries, while sugared ber- 

 ries again showed definite changes 

 with regard to total acidity (in- 

 ci eased) and "apparent increased 



ascorbic acid value". Interfering sub- 

 stances, as detected by norite and 

 formaldehyde, were high at harvest 

 time and dropped off somewhat dur- 

 ing storage. The Great Bay berry had 

 less ascorbic acid at the end of the 

 season than at the beginning. Dur- 

 ing storage, ascorbic acid losses were 

 noted only for the unsugared berries, 

 increased total acid values were noted 

 for sugared berries; ascorbic acid 

 values for these latter were not 

 lowered by storage. 



Helen P. Shimer 

 S. R. Shimer 



How Good are New Hampshire 

 Canned Vegetables? 



A study of the nutritive value of 

 New Hampshire canned vegetables 

 (tomatoes, corn, carrots and beans) 

 has been completed at the University 

 of New Hampshire laboratories. 



Data from 405 samples collected 

 at random from Coos, Merrimack, 

 and Cheshire counties show that the 

 over-all picture compares favorably 

 with commercially canned products. 

 As would be expected, some of the 

 samples of any one product were low 

 in certain nutrients; for example, 

 four samples of beans contained no 

 vitamin C. 



A detailed report of the composite 

 data will appear in another publica- 

 tion, but the following generaliza- 

 tions can be made at this time: 



Previous statements (see 1949 re- 

 port) have shown that New Hamp- 

 shire grown and canned beans and 

 tomatoes compare well with com- 

 mercial packs as regards their vit- 

 amin C (ascorbic acid) content. The 

 same is true for the vitamin A con- 

 tent of corn and for approximately 

 half the carrots. 



All the tomatoes and corn samples 

 equalled, or bettered, the protein 



