60 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 315 



benzoic acid content of 24 varieties of cranberries was 0.065 percent. The varieties 

 with the best keeping qualities did not always have a high benzoic acid content; 

 hence other factors are largely responsible for the differences in keeping quality. 

 Unlike benzoic acid, quinic acid exerted no appreciable preservative action against 

 molds, yeasts or bacteria. Neither pectin nor soluble solids of cranberries showed 

 any correlation with keeping quality. In general, the most acid varieties were 

 the best keepers. 



The malic acid content of both immature and mature Howes cranberries was 

 0.26 percent. The citric acid content of immature Howes averaged 1.31 percent 

 and of mature Howes 1.07 percent. Over 0.5 percent quinic acid was positively 

 isolated from cranberries and possessed the same chemical and physical proper- 

 ties as quinic acid obtained from cinchona bark. The isolation was accomplished 

 through the formation of the basic copper salt of quinic acid. This proof of the 

 presence of quinic acid in cranberries aids greatly in explaining the effects ob- 

 served in the urine and blood after the ingestion of large quantities of cranberries. 



Several popular articles were published dealing with the nutritive value of 

 cranberries. 



Utilization of Cull Onions. (C. R. Fellers.) This project has remained inactive 

 except for the occasional examination of experimental packs of canned, dried 

 (powder), and pickled onions prepared during the past two years. A start has been 

 made on some studies of the nutritive value of Connecticut Valley onions. 



Tomato Juices. (C. R. Fellers, J. A. Clague, and M. J. Mack.) For the second 

 season, homogenization of tomato juices had only a very slight injurious effect 

 on their vitamin C content, and greatly enhanced their attractiveness because it 

 prevented separation of solids. Six commercial brands of canned tomato juice 

 varied in vitamin C potency from 2 to 8.5 grams as the daily protective dose for 

 guinea pigs. Home-prepared juices compared favorably with commercially man- 

 ufactured ones in vitamin C content. 



Effect of Freezing, Cooking, Canning, and Fertilizer Treatment on the Vitamin 

 A and C Content of Green Asparagus. (C. R. Fellers, R. E. Young, and J. A. 

 Clague.) The research under this project has been completed and a paper is now 

 in press. Fresh and frozen asparagus are excellent sources of vitamins A and C. 

 Fertilization with nitrogen and potash had but little influence on the vitamin A 

 or C content. Both cooking and canning green asparagus resulted in a 60 to 80 

 percent loss of vitamin C. No loss in vitamin A was noted. 



Red Squill Research. (R. E. Buck and E. M. Mills.) This study is financed by 

 the U. S. Biological Survey and has for its purpose the perfecting of red squill 

 rat baits. Methyl and ethyl alcohol extracts of red squill have proved to be very 

 toxic in laboratory and field tests on rats. Unlike the powder, the squill extract 

 when mixed with meat, fish, or cereal baits is palatable to rats. If a sub-lethal 

 portion is eaten by rats, they will continue to eat baits containing squill extracts. 

 This is not true in the case of squill powder. Work has been started on the isola- 

 tion of the toxic principle of red squill. 



Nutritive and Technological Studies on Fishery Products. (C. R. Fellers, J. A. 

 Clague and F. P. Griffiths.) The Atlantic whiting was successfully canned by 

 brining, pre-cooking, boning, exhausting, and sterilizing at a temperature of 

 240°F. for 60 minutes for one-half pound cans. The whiting also made satis- 

 factory canned fish cakes and chowder. 



