44 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 305 



A very complete study of the vitamins of cranberries and cranberry products 

 has been completed and published as Bulletin 296. The cranberry is a good 

 source of vitamin C and contains small amounts of vitamin A. 



Nutrition investigations of the effects of cranberries on urinary acidity and 

 blood alkali reserve of human subjects have been completed and published in 

 the Journal of Nutrition 6:455-463, 1933. Cranberries in the amounts normally 

 eaten have no significant effect on urinary acidity or blood alkali reserve. Large 

 doses increase the former and decrease the latter because of the presence of quinic 

 and benzoic acids in the cranberry. 



Intensive chemical work on the separation of the acids of the cranberry has 

 not been entirely successful. No method has been found by which the quinic 

 acid may be quantitatively extracted from cranberries. A chemical study includ- 

 ing benzoic acid determination was made on ten leading varieties of cranberries. 

 The benzoic acid varied from 0.035 to 0.095 per cent. A paper on this work 

 has been accepted for publication by the Journal of Plant Physiology. 



Utilization of Onions by Drying. (C. R. Fellers.) Cull Connecticut Valley 

 onions were again successfully dried and manufactured into a dry white powder 

 which retains to a remarkable degree the characteristic flavor of the fresh onion. 

 A description of this product, method of manufacture, and uses was published in 

 Food Industries in October 1933. 



A start has been made on the study of onion pickling as a possible use of un- 

 marketable onions. The small onions cure better in a 15 per cent salt brine than 

 in weaker brines. Scarcely any lactic acid fermentation takes place in a 15 

 per cent brine, but the onions keep perfecth'. 



Nutritive Studies on Tomato Juices. (C. R. Fellers, J. A. Clague, B. Wait, 

 and M. J. Mack.) Commercial canned or bottled tomato juices varied widely 

 in their vitamin C content, some being only one third as valuable as others. 

 These juices were utilized by the Home Economics Department in their research 

 on the supplementary feeding of school children. 



In general, homogenization of tomato juices had an adverse effect on their 

 vitamin C content. However, the appearance was greatly improved because 

 homogenized juices were very stable and the solids did not settle out. 



Blueberry Investigations. (C. R. Fellers and P. D. Isham.) Blueberries 

 were found to be good sources of vitamin C and to contain small quantities of 

 vitamin A as well. Freezing did not injure the vitamins of the fruit. The 

 canning tests were inconclusive in that some samples showed considerable vitamin 

 C retention, while others did not. The results are published in the Journal of 

 Agricultural Research A1 -Adi-XdS, August 1933. 



Feeding tests on human subjects showed that the ingestion of large amounts 

 of blueberries had no effect on urinary acidity or blood alkali reserve. Likewise, 

 they yielded no benzoic acid upon analysis. 



Red Squill Research. (Robt. 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. Activ-e laboratory work is under way on the preparation of 

 alcohol, glycerol, and other squill extracts for use in combination with fish, meat, 

 and cereals for rat baits. 



Nutritive Value of Fish Meal. (M. M. Cleveland.) This research is financed 

 by the Russia Cement Company of Gloucester. Comprehensive studies have 

 been under way for nearly two years on the value of fish meals prepared in various 



