24 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 417 



Studies on the Identity and Control of a Stilbaceous Mold in Gas Purifying 

 Sponge. Our attention was invited to a compact moldy growth in sponge layers 

 of iron oxide and wood shavings in the gas purifying boxes at the Everett Plant 

 of the Boston Consolidated Gas Company. The sealing of the sponge impeded 

 the flow of gas and interfered with its purification. The fungus was determined 

 by Dr. David Linder, Harvard University, as Sporocybe Borzinii Goidanich, 

 which is the imperfect stage of Petriella Lindforsii Curzi. What is known of the 

 fungus would indicate that it is indigenous to wood. A few samples of wood 

 shavings from stock piles were examined in a search for the Sporocybe fungus 

 but none of it was found. Information has been obtained on the temperature 

 and pH relations of the fungus and upon the lethal action of heat and formalde- 

 hyde, which will be compiled for publication. 



DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY 

 Walter S. Ritchie in Charge 



Chemical Investigation of the Onion. (Emmett Bennett.) An analysis of the 

 tops and bulbs of the Ebenezer onion has been made on samples representing vari- 

 ous stages of growth and on those cultured in distilled water in sunshine-darkness 

 and in darkness. In general, the trends of some of the constituents of the Eben- 

 ezer onion indicate that the cultural period may be divided into two parts. The 

 first part, consisting of about two-thirds of the total growing period, is spent in 

 developing a top of great synthesizing powers. The second is characterized by a 

 rapid gain in weight by the entire plant, followed by a more or less complete 

 removal of solutes to the bulb. This period is initiated by a softening of the 

 neck which occurs because new leaves are not being formed. As a result of 

 these physiological processes it may be said in general that in the tops the con- 

 tent of total ash and of all the nitrogen fractions, determined quantitatively, 

 decreased with maturity accompanied by an increase of soluble sugars until 

 signs of maturity develop; in the bulbs the content of all constituents increased. 



The chief points of interest in these trends are: 



1. That the amides accumulate in the bulbs, especially during the second 

 period. 



2. That the total nitrogen of the bulb at maturity is soluble to the extent 

 of about 80 percent. 



3. That reduction of nitrates appears to take place in the bulb. 



In comparison with the normal, the chief changes which occurred in the onions 

 in artificial cultures were: 



1. That transportation of solutes from the tops to the bulbs occurred very 

 slowly during 139 hours in complete darkness. 



2. That complete darkness caused a more extensive utilization of the soluble 

 carbohydrates than did sunshine-darkness. 



A compound believed to be pyruvic acid has been isolated and characterized. 

 So far as we are aware pyruvic acid has never been isolated from any of the higher 

 plants. The crystals of the 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazone were greenish yellow 

 diamond-shaped plates. The poles of the longer axis were pointed, while those of 

 the shorter axis were curved or rounded. The compound melted at 241 °C. and 

 contained 20.20 percent nitrogen. 



Phosphorus Compounds jn Certain Vegetables. (Emmett Bennett.) A 

 fractionation was made of the phosphorus compounds of 11 different vegetables 



