26S MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 271 



Utilization of Frozen Fruits in Ice Cream. (C. R. Fellers and M. J. 

 Mack, Dairy Department). This cooperative project has been continued 

 for the third year, utilizing various varieties of strawberries, raspberries, 

 cherries and peaches. For the first time fruits were packed with different 

 syrup concentrations in place of solid sugar. Results to date indicate 

 marked superit)rity of the sugar syrup packs of fruit. Oxidation, discol- 

 oration and mushiness are largely obviated by the use of 40 to 60 per cent 

 sugar syrups. Invert syrup gave no better results than sucrose syrup. 

 Corn sugar was distinctly unsatisfactory. Berries and cherries were 

 frozen with solid sugar and with syrup in gallon cans under vacuum. 

 These packs, though more costly to put up, gave the best quality of fruit. 

 Hawaiian pineapples were superior to Porto Rican varieties for ice 

 cream making. Preliminary work was done during the summer on freez- 

 ing various vegetables. 



Pasteurization of Dried Fruits. (C. R. Fellers and J. A. Clague). Fur- 

 ther results have definitely proved that such dried fruits as dates, figs, 

 and raisins may be effectively pasteurized and freed from insects and 

 pathogenic bacteria by a heat treatment under standardized time-tempera- 

 ture-humidity relationships. This work has now been discontinued, the 

 results being published in American Joairnal of Public Health Vol. 20, 175- 

 181 (Feb. 1930) and Jour7ial of Bacteriology Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jan. 1931). 



Chemical Composition of Dates. (M. M. Cleveland). The Hills Bro- 

 thers Company Research Fellow for 1931-32 is making a study of the 

 organic and mineral constituents of dates, with special reference to nutri- 

 tive properties. Possible uses for cull dates and date syrup are also in- 

 cluded in this project. 



Preservation of Rodent Bait. (In cooperation with U. S. Bureau of 

 Biological Survey). Experiments have been conducted on the feasibility 

 of preserving rodent baits containing red squill. If the canned product 

 proves satisfactory, the use of poisoned meat, fish and cereals by farmers 

 and others will be greatly facilitated. 



DEPARTMENT OF HORTICULTURE 

 Frank A. Waugh in Charge 



Turf Management. (L. S. Dickinson). The results of past studies of 

 the appearance and control of the large brown patch disease (Rhizoctonia 

 solani) were published in Phytopathology for August, 1930, under the title 

 "The effect of air temperature on the pathogenicity of Rhizoctonia solani 

 parasitizing grasses on putting green turf." Field observations again 

 verified the results obtained in previous years, and each attack of the 

 disease was accurately forecast during the 1930 season. 



Further progress has been made in the use of fertilizers to maintain 

 healthy turf during periods of extreme drought, especially where artificial 

 watering is impractical. It appears that certain combinations of fertil- 

 izers can offset to a considerable degree the disadvantages of a dry season 

 and produce excellent turf. 



Studies in the control of mouse-ear chickweed {Cerastium vulgafum) and 



