BULLETIN OF THE 



:I 



No. 102 



Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry, Wm. A. Taylor, Chief. 

 July 23, 1914. 



(PROFESSIONAL PAPER.) 



ACIDITY AS A FACTOR IN DETERMINING THE DEGREE OF 

 SOUNDNESS OF CORN. 



By H. J. Besley and G. H. Baston, Assistants, Office of Grain Standardization. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In January, 1910, the Office of Grain Standardization, Bureau of 

 Plant Industry, undertook the investigation of corn (maize) acidity. 

 At that time it was generally known that in all cases the amount of 

 acid or the degree of acidity found in badly damaged or spoiled corn 

 was far greater than the amount of acid or the degree of acidity 

 found in corn which was sound and in good condition. This fact 

 was well established by the researches of Black and Alsberg, 1 of the 

 Department of Agriculture, and by the work of foreign chemists and 

 other investigators 2 on the toxicity of spoiled corn. 



It was for the purpose of ascertaining the range in the degree of 

 acidity of commercial corn and to determine the reliability of the 

 acid test as a criterion of quality and soundness of corn from the 

 standpoint of commercial grading that the investigation herein 

 described was undertaken. 



METHOD, APPARATUS, AND REAGENTS. 



DESCRIPTION OF METHOD. 



Select a representative sample (about 100 grams) of corn to be 

 tested and grind to such fineness that at least 80 per cent will pass 

 through a 2-millimeter sieve. Weigh accurately duplicate samples 

 of 10 grams and transfer each to a 300 c. c. wide-mouthed Erlen- 



i Black, O. F., and Alsberg, C. L. The determination of the deterioration of maize, with incidental 

 reference to pellagra. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry, Bulletin 199, 36 p., 

 1910. 



2 Schindler, Josef. Anleitung zur Beurteilung des Maises und seiner Mahlprodukte mit Riicksicht auf 

 ihre cignung als Nahrungsmittel. Innsbruck, 1909, 43 p., 1 pi. 



Note. — This bulletin shows how the acid test may be used in the commercial grading of corn; it 

 intended for chemists, grain buyers, and all who are interested in grading corn, more especially in the 

 corn belt and at terminal markets. 



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