812 
Supplement to the " Tropiccd Agriatliuriftt." [May 1, 1690. 
Or ill 100 parts of the entire fruit: 
Envelope. 
oeeu. 
X UUr. 
Kriiit'. 
AVatcr 
14-8o 
u O I 
/ v^U 
Mineral matter 
or)3 
0 17 
0-3b 
1-.8 
tyuiiuiu&e 
X XiJ 
0-39 
0*:.'0 
1- 2 
Fat 
U 4r 
0()2 
001 
0 30 
Non-Nitrogenoii8 
l!t60 
substances 
7-10 
4-86 
7-6:5 
Nitrogenous 
0-G2 
039 
1 7.0 
04-50 
13 00 
32-.j0 
100 00 
''••Containing Sugar 
6 02 
914 

BORACIC ACID AS A rRlvSKRVATlVK. 
Uoracic acid is the chief ingreilient in most of 
the patent preparulions which are i-old under 
various trade names lor preserving milk and 
hutier. A little bor.icic ;icid added to millc goes 
a great way to keep the milk sweet, an 
important consideration in tropicil couiitiio* 
■vvheie milk turn.s f.o quickly. The .so'iring of milk 
is due to the genoiatioii of lactic acid brought 
nbout by the action of a ferment « liich converts 
the milk sugar or lactose in milk into hi'ciic acid. 
When the acid reaches a certain ])roportion the 
milk begins to curdle. The same change could of 
course be brouglit nbout anilicijilly by adding 
other acids such as citric acid in the form of 
lemon juice. In cheese-rauking the curding of 
milk is a necessary jiroces-:, and is induced by the 
addition of rennet, an extract generally got from 
the fourth stomach of the calf or the s'.omiich of 
the ])\g, and containing hydrochloiic acid, an 
ingredient of the gastric juice. Boracic acid, or 
boric acid as it is more commonly called, is an 
antiseptic which jjrevonts the action of ferments 
in a medium sucli as milk when added to it. The 
chief merit of boracic acid is that it is a com- 
paratively harmless substance as compared for 
instance with salycilic acid, which pos^essis the 
same antisei)lic proi)erties. Still, it is not to be 
supposed that it can be used in unlimited quan- 
tities, and for that reason it is reasonable thaj 
some check should be placed on its use as a pie- 
servative. In tliis connection we might quote 
from the Adelaide Observer a reference to the 
excessive use of boracic acid in the preservation 
of butter, while the maximum (piantity 
permitted is also indicated: "The .Minister of 
Agriculture, the Ilon'ble R. Butler, his received 
from the Agent-General, Mr. iS. Benny Young, 
Manager of the London depot, an account ot the 
prosecution of a grocer in Birmingham for .'elling 
butter from Adelaide containing too large a 
jjercentage of boracic acid. The report states that 
the two boxes purchased were part of a consign- 
ment of 25,143 packages from Adelaide in the 
Steamship "Indiu." The butter as testea was found 
to contain 1 per cent, of boracic acid, equal to 70 
grains to the pound. A fine of 40s. was imposed. 
The Minister wishes attention drawn to this ca^e, 
as it is of the greatest importance to the Australian 
butter trade, and he also points out that the total 
quantity shipped from Adelaide by the " India " was 
76 cases, or less than 2 tons, and that there is no 
jiroof that the two oa-^e.s tested mere of South 
Auhtrali.'in manufacture. On the otiier hand, it i« 
I'Xfremfly improbable that out of the ^5.143 CIl^e6 
on bri.iid, I h"? two Cmh-i' le-'ed voil.d Iteh'iig to 
the 70 cases from South AuMruli i. The Miiii-'cr 
Fent on the information t.> ilie D.iry Kxpert, Mr. 
Thonisoii, for report, and lie rej lied us lollow>: — 
'•Concerning llie urt of pic-te; v aiives for butter 
and dairy produce, this I h«ve empha'ipilly 
condemned in my lectures throughout the dairying 
districts of the cjloiiy, and al*o in atticif? written 
on dairy fiulijects. Many eminent nuthoritifs 
recognsie Ihtir use as benefiiciil to healtli, but the 
maximum quniitity adviu'd for lu'ttcr pre^^frva 
tion r.irely exceeds ()-6 pei cent. The butter-teet- 
ing lately conducted at the (iovernnient I>ej>ot 
gave t>at iff actory evidence that pn>H'rvnt ires are 
not os-entia! to the keeping qimlilie^ of well- 
wa^lied and carerully-miinul.ictiiied butter. When 
butter is thoroughly fre?d from biittt>rmi)k, preser- 
vatives can Ije entirely dispeaseil with. If the 
system of jjasteuriz ition were adopt e<l, the g.-ncial 
quuliiy of butter wouhl beiucreised consideiably , 
and little cause would remain to eiicoiirnge makerH 
to add boracic aci'l or any other iiresertaliv.'," 
Taking 1 percent, of boracic acid as equivalent 
to 70 grains to tiie j)onnd, 00 i>er cent (Hie 
amount which, it i« recommended, ^l^>lllll not be 
exceeded) would l>e equivalent to 42 grains to the 
pound. 
Taking tlie same proportionate ^veights and 
milk equal to 2/. lbs. per quart, flie m:ixi-ntim 
amount for milk would be .-is nearly as possible 
52 grains per pint (20 oz.). Tho>e who ure in the 
hiibit of tiding boracic acid for jireventing milk 
from turning sour quickly would do well to note 
this fact which is based on e.xjiert opinio:). 
ITvEIWRATIOX or AXATTO l.V lllli WEST 
IXDIi:.'^. 
The preparation of anatto is very i>iiDpl«. The 
fresiily-gathered seeds are put ia a tub and boiling 
water is jioured over them, tlie mass being 
frequently stirred so a.s to wash off tlie w:ixy 
testa from the seed.s. After S"ine days lie 
mass is passed through sieve to .s*par;ite the 
seed'? which should come away fiee from the dye. 
The liquid is then left for a week to ferment and 
to allow the dye to settle at the bottom of the 
ve-sid and the clear water is drawn off. The de- 
po-ited dye is next put into shallow pans in order 
that the excess of moisture may be evaporated in 
the shade. AVhen the sub>tance is of the con- 
sistency of putty, it may be made into rolls of two 
or three pounds weight and wrapped in banana 
leaves, and it then becomes the flag or roll anatto 
Vviiich is exported in great quantity from Brazil. 
It may, however, be allowed to become drier ny a 
longer exposure in the shallow [laiis, and then it can 
be moulded into square cakes weighing eight or 
ten pounds eacii and also wrapped in ban:ina leaves. 
The Ciikes are usually- packed for expoit in ca>ks 
containing five hundredweights. Cike anatto is 
brown externally, but the inside is of a reddish or 
y.'llow colour; and in this form it fetches the 
Jiigliest price in the market. The cakes should be 
thoroughly dry before they are packed to prevent 
deterioration by their becoming mouldy after they 
are shipped. 
