Pebeuabt 21, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



295 



of the granules, and the new hypothesis of 

 the fundamentally different components 

 amylopectin and amyloses are set forth. 

 Objection is made to the indirect methods 

 of previous investigators. The author's 

 scheme of experimentation is explained in 

 detail, and general reference is made to 

 results so far had, which indicate that the 

 new amylo-peetin hypothesis is untenable. 

 The investigation in detail will be pub- 

 lished later. 



Note on the Dyer Method for the Deter- 

 mining of Plant Food in Soils: Frank 

 T. Shutt and A. T. Chaeron. 

 The authors have submitted the results 

 of an investigation of the influence of time 

 of digestion and the influence of volume 

 as related to the Dyer method for deter- 

 mining plant food in soils. From the re- 

 sults there is every reason for adherence 

 to the time and volume limits as given by 

 Dyer in his original account of the process. 



A Recent Analysis of Water from Great 

 Salt Lake: W. C. Ebaugh and Kenneth 

 Williams. 



From analyses made in this laboratory 

 we know that the water of Great Salt Lake 

 has varied widely in composition during 

 the last twenty years, as indicated by the 

 following partial resiilts. 



Per cent, by 



Density at Weight, Total 



Year 15° C. Solids 



1885 1.1225 16.716 



1903 1.22061 27.721' 



1907 1.1810 22.920 



The solids contain the following con- 

 stituents : 



Per cent, by 



Weight of Grams per 



Sample Liter 



Chlorine 12.67 149.633 



Sulphate radical .. 1.53 18.069 



Sodium 7.58 89.520 



Potassium 0.72 8.503 



Magnesium 0.45 5.314 



Calcium 0.04 0.508 



Total solids (direct 



determination) .. 22.92 270.675 



* Greatest density ever recorded. 



The Precipitation Method for the Esti- 

 mation of Oils in Flavoring Extracts 

 and Pharmaceutical Preparations : 

 Charles D. Howard. 

 The author proposes a modified precipi- 

 tation method for determining oils in 

 flavoring extracts and this modified form 

 yields very accurate results. No correc- 

 tion for oils retained in solution is neces- 

 sary, alcoholic solutions are not detrimental 

 except for almond oil. A determination 

 may be made in less than ten minutes. 



Effect of Lime and Gypsum on the Solu- 

 bility of Potassium in Feldspars: F. W. 

 MoKSE and B. E. Curby. 

 Lime and gypsum in contact with feld- 

 spar increases the solubility of potassium. 

 This effect has not been detected when 

 ordinary clay soils are treated in a similar 

 way. This difference is probably due to 

 the absorbing action of the clays which 

 causes the removal of potassium from solu- 

 tions. 



A Study of the Changes Taking Place in 

 the Muscle of Chickens luhen Preserved 

 at Low Temperatures: M. E. Penning- 

 ton and E. Q. St. John, Food Research 

 Laboratory. 



The muscular tissue of chickens kept in 

 a solidly frozen condition, at 13° F., shows 

 marked histological changes even after one 

 month in cold storage. These changes are 

 progressive and at the end of six months 

 many muscle fibers are scarcely recogniz- 

 able. 



The observations have been made on 

 chickens of known history and which have 

 been carefully kept, and upon chickens of 

 the ordinary market type. The latter have 

 been examined after storage periods of 

 two and three years, as well as when stored 

 for comparatively short lengths of time. 



Methods of Soil Toxicology: Oswald 

 Schreinee and Edmund C. Shoeey. 

 The presence of small amounts of toxic 



