MAPLE SUGAR. 



45 



8344, the one apparently abnormal sample among some 844 samples, 

 it is noted that all of the values do not fall below the minima just 

 given. Applying the Ross lead number determination, which has 

 been advanced for application in particular to mixtures of maple and 

 cane sugar sirup, to pure maple products, it would appear that 2.25 

 should be considered the lower limit for this value. 



Malic acid value. — Some food chemists lay great stress upon this 

 determination, the minimum value for which in sap sirups was found 

 to be 0.21, with an average of 1.01 and a maximum of 1.82. Only 

 6 samples out of the 481 had a value below 0.60. In the sugar sirups, 

 the lowest value was 0.51, the next lowest 0.59, and all the rest were 

 above 0.60, the average being 0.93 and the extreme 1.72. Table 

 XXXIII shows the analytical figures of the samples having a malic 

 acid value lower than 0.60. 



Table XXXIII. — Samples of maple products with a ■malic acid value below 0.60. 



Serial 

 No. 



Total 

 ash. 



Insoluble 

 ash. 



Winton 



lead 

 number. 



Malic acid 

 value. 



Serial 

 No. 



Total 

 ash. 



Insoluble 

 ash. 



Winton 



lead 

 number. 



Malic 

 acid 

 value. 



6693 

 6692 

 6773 

 6918. 



Per cent. 

 0.97 

 1.01 



.77 

 .89 



Per cent. 



0.26 



.24 



.26 



.26 



1.76 

 2.36 

 2.63 

 1.86 



0.31 

 .44 



.58 

 .54 



6926 

 6915 

 8344 

 8379. 



Per cent. 

 0.87 



.84 

 .78 

 .88 



Per cent. 



0.35 



.23 



.21 



.29 



1.98 

 2.65 

 1.85 

 2.28 



0.52 

 .21 

 .59 

 .51 



All these samples have a total ash content of 0.77 per cent or 

 higher and with one exception an insoluble ash content of over 0.22. 

 The lead number in each case, with one exception, is 1.85 or higher. 

 It then seems proper to consider that a pure product must have a 

 value of 0.60 per cent. Abnormal products may have a value below 

 this, but they are not abnormal at the same time in ash or insoluble 

 ash. 



Considering the subject as a whole, a pure maple product does not 

 yield figures below the minima set. In one or two of the determina- 

 tions it might give a figure below the minimum for such a determina- 

 tion. If pure, however, it shows in the other determinations figures 

 which exceed the minima. 



The minima set are: Total ash 0.77 per cent, calculated to dry 

 basis; insoluble ash 0.23 per cent, calculated to dry basis; Winton 

 lead number 1.85, calculated to dry basis; malic acid value 0.60, 

 calculated to dry basis. 



These apply also to the samples of maple sirups which Jones * re- 

 ports as naving lower minima. Of the 34 samples reported by him 

 as being low in some particular, 6 show all figures below the minima 

 just stated. The remainder are above in some of the determinations. 



1 Vt. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui. 167, p. 464. 



