304 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. VII, No. 7 
It was found by boiling a little of the vegetable-ivory meal in water, 
filtering out the insoluble portion, and then adding the dear filtrate 
to a large volume of strong alcohol that a predpitate would form after 
standing for some time. Since this process is similar to that employed 
in separating pectin (plant mucilage) from fruits, it was first supposed to 
be the same product. The amount present was found to be 2.78 per 
cent on a dry-matter basis. 
According to the best authorities, pectin, supposed by many to be an 
oxygen or add derivative of cellulose, is readily oxidized to mucic acid 
by proper treatment with nitric acid. The product from vegetable-ivory 
meal when so treated produced no mudc acid. That it could not be of 
pentose character was demonstrated by making determinations on the 
filtered predpitate. Not the slightest trace of phlorogludd formed, 
showing the absence of five carbon sugars. 
From various authorities and from actual observation, pectin derived 
from fruit is known to reduce Fehling's solution. Indications of such 
reduction were not noted in the case of this precipitate. 
On the supposition that it might be of a nitrogenous nature, a nitrogen 
determination was made with negative results. 
Considering these results, it would seem that the alcoholic precipitate 
from vegetable-ivory meal is distinctly different from the so-called 
“plant mudlage.” 
In attempting the determination of the sugars present in vegetable- 
ivory meal by Fehling’s gravimetric method, many difficulties were 
encountered. However, a brief summary of the results obtained seems 
worthy of note. Water extracts of the material without inversion 
gave about 0.5 per cent of reducing material. The same solution after 
hydrolysis with hydrochloric add at 20° C. for 24 hours gave an average 
of 2 per cent of redudng material. From this it was evident that the 
mannose, or, more properly speaking, the mannan, existed as a hemicellu- 
lose, since otherwise the total sugars would have been in an enormous 
excess of 2 per cent. Consequently the hydrolysis was made more drastic 
by boiling, and it was found that with an increase in the length of the 
boiling period the percentages of sugars increased (Table II). 
Table II .—Relation of the length of the boiling period to the percentage of sugars in 
vegetable-ivory meal 
Hours boiled. 
Percentage of 
sugar (as 
dextrose). 
2K.-. 
A . 
47* 40 
65.00 
73-40 
73*40 
73*40 
t ..... 
6. 
7... 
