440 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



The factory where these facts were obtained, employs six men, and the an- 

 nual produce amounts to from 900 to 1,000 koku, equal to 4,617 to 5,130 bush- 

 els. The cost of the various ingredients and the finished product is as follows : * 



Beans, i koku — 5.13 bu 6 yenf 



Rice, I koku 10 " 



Salt, I koku 5.40 " 



Total cost of Meiso per koku . . 7.13 " 



Market price per koku 13-20 " 



The moldy rice, prepared as described, constitues the yeast of the Japanese 

 and is used for all the purposes, including bread-making, for which we would 

 employ ordinary yeast. Its production is therefore of considerable importance, 

 as upon it depends the manufacture of meiso, saki, (fermented hquor,) vinegar, 

 and shoyu. It therefore becomes evident that the principal interest of this entire 

 manufacture centers in the fungus which develops upon the rice, because of the 

 variety of forms which may be developed from its spores under different condi- 

 tions of warmth and moisture, and, also, exposure to the air. 



In order to obtain some satisfactory evidence on this interesting subject, the 

 various products — moldy rice, meiso, yeast and vinegar — were submitted to 

 microscopical examination. 



A sample of meiso was taken from a vat where fermentation had been in 

 progress for some time. It was noticed that the temperature was so low, that the 

 whole mass felt cold to the hand, and thus whatever fermentation was in progress, 

 must have been going on at a very slow rate. On examination, there appeared nu- 

 merous spore-like bodies, similar in form and size to the spores from the moldy 

 rice, which they doubtless were. In addition, there were many short and irreg. 

 ularly branched filaments in all stages of growth from the spore. Nothing was 

 seen which could be called yeast-plant proper, or S. cerivisiccz. 



A sample of freshly made vinegar, showed the hquid to contain a very large 

 number of spermatia-like bodies, while masses of the true vinegar-plant were also 

 numerous. The cells of these measured 1-7000 of an inch in diameter. No true 

 yeast-plant was to be found, though this may possibly have been due to the 

 degree of saccharine exhaustion as well as the low temperature of the fermenta- 

 tion. A sample of vinegar, containing a good surface growth of the vinegar-plant, 

 was kept for three weeks in the hope that fruit might appear and thus furnish one 

 more link in the chain of evidence; but none appeared, although the net-work of 

 cells constantly and rapidly increased, and further observations were interrupted 

 by departure for home. 



Yeast made in the ordinary way, but using the moldy rice to start the fer- 

 ment, showed the familiar forms of the true yeast-plant. The fungus on the moldy 

 rice, proved to be our old friend Penicilleum. 



* Prices for 1880 ; probably somewhat higher at present. 

 f Yen, gold, is equal to the U. S. dollar. 



