FERMENTATION AND FERMENTS—FIGS 
In the growth of plants, ferments play 
an important part, both in the prepara- 
tion of plant food and in the chemical 
changes that take place in the plant. 
Disintegration of the mineral food of the 
soil is assisted by ferment action. The 
nitrogenous food of the plant is all pre- 
pared in the soil by ferment action. 
Aceteus or Acetic Fermentation 
A. form of oxidation in which alcohol 
is converted into vinegar or acetic acid 
by the agency of a specific fungus or fer- 
ment called “Mycoderma aceti.” The pro- 
cess involves two distinct reactions in 
which the oxygen of the air is essential. 
An intermediate product called “alde- 
hyde” is formed in the first process. 
1 C.H,O + O= HO + C.H,0O. 
2C.H,0 + O=C.H,O,. 
Alcoholic Fermentation 
The fermentation which saccharine 
bodies undergo when brought into con- 
tact with the yeast plant or torulae. The 
sugar is converted either directly or in- 
directly into alcohol and carbonic acid, 
the rate of action being dependent on the 
rapidity with which the torulae develop. 
Ammoniacal Fermentation 
The conversion of the urea of urine in- 
to ammonium carbonate, through the 
growth of the special urea ferment. 
Whenever urine is exposed to the air for 
several days in open vessels, it under- 
goes this alkaline fermentation. 
Butyriec Fermentation 
The fermentation of various forms of 
organic matter through the agency of a 
peculiar worm shaped vibrio, with the 
formation of more or less butyric acid. 
It is one of the many forms of fermenta- 
tion, that collectively constitute putre- 
faction. 
Enzymatic Ferment 
This has already been described. 
The Fermentation Theory of Disease 
The theory that most, if not all, infect- 
ious or zymotic diseases are caused by 
the introduction into the organism of the 
living germs of ferments, or ferment 
bodies, already developed, (organized 
ferments) by which, processes of fermen- 
955 
tation are set up injurious to health. This 
is akin to the germ theory of disease. 
Glycerine Ferment 
The fermentation which occurs on the 
mixing of a dilute solution of glycerine 
with a peculiar species of schizomycetes 
and some carbonate of lime and other 
matter favorable to the growth of the 
plant, the glycerine being changed into 
butyric acid, butyl and ethel alcohol. 
With another form of bacterium (Bacillus 
subtilis) ethel alcohol and butyric acid 
are mainly formed. 
Lactic Fermentation 
The transformation of milk sugar or 
other saccharine body into lactic acid, as 
the souring of milk, through the agency 
of a special bacterium (Bacterium iactis 
of Lister). In this change the milk 
sugar, before assuming the form of lactic 
acid, presumably passes through the 
stage of glucose. 
FERTILIZATION. See Apple Orchard. 
FERTILIZER, COMMERCIAL. See Apple Or- 
chard Cover Crop. 
Fertilizing Value of Rain and 
Snow 
Experiments have been conducted dur- 
ing the past few years at the Canadian 
Experiment farms by F. T. Shutt, relat- 
ing to the fertilizing value of rain and 
snow. The report for 1911 shows that 
during the year the precipitation amount- 
ed to 26.97 inches, the total nitrogen 
per acre brought down by rain and snow 
was 5.27 pounds, about 84 per eent be- 
ing furnished by the rain and 16 per cent 
by snow. Of the total nitrogen 3.73 
pounds was in the form of free and al- 
buminoid ammonia and 1.54 pounds ni- 
trates and nitrites. 
B.S. R. 
Figs 
The fig is the fruit of any one of 
the various species of the cultivated 
varieties of Ficus carica. Fig trees vary 
greatly in habit, some of them being low 
trailing shrubs, others gigantic trees. 
They have alternate leaves, which abound 
in a milky juice, usually acrid, though in 
a few instances sufficiently mild to be 
