BULLETIN OF THE BUSSEY INSTITUTION. 413 
20.63% of the dry peach stones. But in one of the previous 
trials 24.51% of pure cellulose had been indicated by subtracting 
from the crude cellulose of Lange the pentosans therein contained. 
To another (5 grm.) sample of the peach stones 50 cc. of nitric 
acid of 1.345 sp. gr. were added, the mixture was heated on a 
boiling water bath in a dish with a reflux condenser and from time 
to time crystals of potassium chlorate were thrown into the liquid. 
As was to have been expected, the action of the mixed chlorate 
and nitric acid was emphatic. The cellular structure of the cellu- 
lose was practically destroyed and the appearance of the undis- 
solved matter answered very well to the description given by 
Sace* of his ‘‘ artificial pectic acid,” 7. e. the oxycellulose of more 
recent observers. On washing, drying and weighing this doughy 
’ mass it was found to amount to 15.20% of the dry peach stones, 
and on distilling it with hydrochloric acid for furfurol there was 
obtained 26.62% of this substance. If this large amount of 
furfurol had really been derived not from oxycellulose but from 
pentosans, contained in constituents of the original peach stones 
which had escaped the destructive action of the oxydizing agents, 
it would appear that the matter weighed as cellulose (oxycellulose) 
must have contained 48.98% of pentosans. In other words, it 
might be said that the above mentioned 15.20 parts of cellulose 
(oxycellulose) consisted of 7.45 parts of pentosans and no more 
than 7.75 parts of real cellulose. 
It would appear in any event that the hard, compact ligneous 
peach stones probably contain a smaller proportion of true cellulose 
than is contained in various kinds of woods. Thus, there was _ 
found by Lange’s process in the wood of a sugar maple felled in 
October 57.24% of cellulose, while the wood of another sugar 
maple felled in May gave 57.42% of cellulose and 9.11% of 
lignic acids. This cellulose on being distilled with hydrochloric 
acid gave 13.95% of furfurol, equal to 25.67% of pentosans in 
the cellulose. When referred to the actual wood from which this 
cellulose was derived, the figures become 8.01% of furfurol and 
14.74% of pentosans. When a sample of the wood itself was 
distilled directly with hydrochloric acid there was obtained 10.47% 
of furfurol, equal to 19.25% of pentosans. On subtracting from 
the ‘‘cellulose” found (57.42%) the pentosans that were con- 
* Gmelin’s Handbook. 15. 413. 
