234 Transactions of the Boyal Society of South Africa. 
flask during extracting was found objectionable because much zein goes 
into solution, and unless a thermostat be used other differences are pro- 
duced. The effect upon acidity determination of slight changes in the 
concentration of the alcohol, they found to be insignificant. Later 
experiments* carried out by the Office of Grain Standardization, United 
States of America, Department of Agriculture, found that the degree of 
acidity is directly proportional to the percentage of damage and to the 
commercial grading at terminal markets, but inversely to the percentage 
of germination. 
(2) Moisture and Ash Determination. 
These were determined in the usual way, following the suggestions 
made by Black and Alsberg : — 
Besult. — 
Control. Inoculated. 
Per cent. Moisture 6-8 13-5 
Ash 1-61 7-42 
Black and Alsberg state that in Italy the amount of ash is regarded 
as significant and over 4 per cent, considered a sure sign of deterioration. 
The ash content of good corn should be in the neighbourhood of 1*5 per 
cent. 
Nearly all the ash is located in the germ, and the ash determinations, 
therefore, indicate how far a meal has been degerminated and the starchy 
endosperm layer removed. 
(3) Fat Determination. 
Five grams of the inoculated and control substance respectively were 
extracted with water-free Ether for five hours in a Soxhlet's Apparatus. 
The Ether was then evaporated, the residual fat dried and its weight 
determined. 
Besult. — 
Per cent. Fat in 
Dry Material. 
Control 4-8 per cent. 
Inoculated 5'6 ,, 
As mentioned by Black and Alsberg, the greater part of the fat is 
situated in the germ, and the fat determination would enable one to 
determine whether meal has been adulterated with the germ. 
* J. H. Besley and G. H. Baston, "Maize Acidity Investigation." Agricultural 
Journal of the Union of South Africa, vol. vii., No. 4, pp. 549-552. 
