232 Transactions of the Boyal Society of South Africa. 
disease as the cause of paralysis and death in stock, writes: "All the 
cobs examined from the various farmers prove to be infected with 
Diplodia zeae, (Schw.) Lev." * 
Black and Alsberg f have devoted some time in finding an adequate, 
and, at the same time, simple test for determining whether corn products 
are fit for human food. Such a test they consider to be the determination 
of the acidity of corn — a test well known in both Italy and Austria, 
where the Governments have enacted stringent laws regulating the quality 
of corn and corn meal which may be sold or imported. 
The authors, besides giving a description of the method of determining 
the acidity, give and discuss various other tests. Their work and sug- 
gestions have been closely followed and frequent reference will be made 
to it. 
A. — Chemistry of Maize Inoculated with the Fungus in Pure 
Culture, Compared with the Chemistry of Control Maize 
NOT so Inoculated. 
On the 11th of January, 1914, a large flask containing 1 lb. crushed 
maize soaked in 500 c.c. distilled water and autoclaved was inoculated 
with spores of Diplodia zeae and incubated at 25° C. (Fig. 1). A control 
flask which was otherwise similarly treated, but not inoculated, was 
incubated at the same time. 
On the 23rd of January the contents of the two flasks were shaken 
out and placed in the sun on trays to dry. The inoculated flask showed a 
rich pure white cottony growth, the control was sterile. 
On the 24th of January, the two sets were separately ground up in a 
coffee mill, the control being taken first. 
With this ground material the following tests were made : — 
(1) Acidity. 
Method. — Ten grams of the inoculated and ground maize was placed 
in a 50-c.c. measuring flask which was then filled to the mark with 
85 per cent, neutral alcohol (prepared by distilling 95 per cent, alcohol 
with the addition of quicklime). The flask was kept at room temperature 
for 24 hours with an occasional shaking. 
At the end of the above period the contents were filtered into a 
measuring funnel ; 25 c.c. of the filtrate was placed in a beaker and the 
* Union Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Pathology and Mycology, 
Annual Eeport 1912-1913. 
t O. F. Black and C. L. Alsberg, " The Determination of the Deterioration of Maize 
"With Incidental Keference to Pellagra, U.S. Department of Agriculture." Bureau 
Plant of Industry Bull. No. 199. 
