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precipitated, dried but still hydrated, nickel sesquioxide (Ni,O,). A 2 0 per cent. solution of potassium hydroxide is then poured in, and a tight cover with small perforation put on the cell. The wetting of the nickel oxide causes it to swell and to make good connection with the electrodes] while in a short time the oxide in contact with the cadmium becomes reduced to green monoxide] NiO, forming a thin, flocculent layer, which is a good separator, J. W. RICHARDS. offering but slight resistance.
AGRICULTURAL CHEnISTRY. Alfalfa: I t s Chemical Development, Feeding Value, and Digestibility. BY H. SNYDER AND J. A. HUMMEL.Minn. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bull. No. 80,pp. 149-180. -A hardy variety of alfalfa, supposed to have come originally from Norway, has been grown without difficulty in the region of Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota, for thirty years or more. Reports from farmers show the successful culture of this great forage crop in a number of counties in the central and southern portions of the state. T h e authors report in this bulletin studies of the chemical development] feedingvalue, and digestibility of Minnesota-grown alfalfa. Analyses of samples of the first and second crops taken at weekly intervals showed that, as regards feeding-value, alfalfa is most suitable for cutting when one-third of the blossoms have appeared. When cut at a later stage, a larger amount of hay is obtained, but the feeding-value is much lessened. Six days before harvesting] the leaves constituted 42.78 per cent. of the dry matter of the plant above ground and contained 63 per cent. of the total nitrogen. During the eight days following, 6 per cent. of the nitrogenous matter of the leaves was transferred to the stems. During the ripening period the percentage of dry matter increased quite regularly in both leaves and stems. T h e percentage of total and proteid nitrogen decreased in the leaves, the proteid nitrogen decreasing more rapidly than the total nitrogen. I n the stems the percentage of total nitrogen decreased while that of proteid nitrogen remained stationary. “This seems to show that the nitrogen is taken from the soil in non-proteids or amide forms and is changed to proteid forms in the leaves and then transferred to the stems to be finally stored in the seed.” The percentage of ether extract increased in the leaves and stems. T h e percentage of fiber increased in the leaves but was stationary in the stems. T h e percentage of ash was stationary in the leaves but decreased in the stems. It is estimated that an average yield of 8,000 pounds of cured alfalfa hay per acre removes from the soil 206 pounds of potash, 58 pounds of phosphoric acid, 89 pounds of lime, and 2 2 pounds of magnesia. T h e results of digestion experiments with steers showed that alfalfa is equal in digestibility to red clover. A test of the digestibility of millet is also reported. H. W. LAWSON.
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Review of American Chemical Research.
Some Conditions of Stock Poisoning in Idaho. BY H. B. SLADE. Idaho Agr. Expt. Sta. Bull. No. 37, pp. ~gg-rgo.-This is a general discussion on the poisonous properties of plants and the conditions and treatment of stock poisoning. H. W. LAWSON. Further Experiments in Top-Dressing Grass Land. BY H. J. WHEELERAND G. E. ADAMS. R. I. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bull. No. 90, pp. 69-S6.-Based upon the results of experiments which have been in progress for four years, an annual application of the following mixture is recommended : Acid phosphate 400 pounds, muriate of potash 200-250 pounds, and nitrate of soda 350 pounds. Acid land should be limed before seeding to grass. T h e water content of field-cured hay varied from 23 to 26 per cent. During storage the loss in weight was from 13 to 16 per cent. T h e total nitrogen in redtop was greater than that in timothy, and more mineral matter was removed from the soil by redtop H. W. LAWSON. than by timothy. The Relation of Carbon Dioxide to Proteolysis in the Ripening of Cheddar Cheese. BY L. L. VANSLYKE A N D E. B. HART. N. Y.(State) Agr. Expt. Sta. Bull. No. 231,pp. ~g-qr.--The authors give the following summary of their investigations : T h e object of the work described in this bulletin was to ascertain the extent to which carbon dioxide is formed in American cheddar cheese during long periods of time in the process of ripening, and also to learn the nature of the chemical changes that give rise to the production of this gas. Two cheeses were used for this study. One was entirely normal, the other was made from milk containing chloroform and kept under antiseptic conditions. T h e investigation was continued thirty-two weeks, when a chemical study was made of the proteolytic end-products. In the normal cheese, carbon dioxide was given off continuously, though in decreasing quantities after about twenty weeks, and had not ceased at the end of thirty-two weeks. T h e total amount thus produced was I 5.099 grams, equal to 0 . j per cent. of the fresh cheese. I n the chloroformed cheese, the total amount of carbon dioxide produced was 0.205 gram, practically none being found after three weeks. I n the normal cheese the following end-products of proteolysis were found : Tyrosine, oxyphenylethylamine, arginine in traces, histidine, lysine, guanidine, putrescine in traces, and ammonia. I n the chloroformed cheese were found the same compounds, except oxyphenylethylamine, guanidine, putrescine, and ammonia ; but arginine was found in marked quantities for the first time in cheese. A consideration of the possible sources of carbon dioxide in the two cheeses indicates that, in the case of the chloroformed cheese, the carbon dioxide came from that present originally in the milk and that formed in the milk from the decomposition of milk-sugar before treatment with chloroforni. I n
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the case of the normal cheese, the carbon dioxide given off in its early age came largely from the decomposition of milk-sugar by lactic acid organisms, while a small amount was probably due to the carbon dioxide present in the milk and to the respiration of living organisms present in the cheese. T h e carbon dioxide produced after the first few weeks came apparently from reactions taking place in some of the amido compounds, among which we were able to identify the change of tyrosine and arginine into derived products with simultaneous formation of carbon dioxide. I n the chloroformed cheese, the only active proteolytic agents were lactic acid. galactase, and rennet-pepsin. Under the conditions of our experiment, these agents were able to form neither ammonia nor secondary amido compounds with production of carbon dioxide. T h e presence of chloroform could not account for this lack of action. These results suggest that, in the normal cheese, there must have been some agent at work not present in the chloroformed cheese and that this extra factor was of a bioH. W. LAWSON. logical character. Studies on the Digestibility and Nutritive Value of Bread at the University of ITinnesota in 1900-1902. BY H. SNYDER. U. S. Dept. Agy., OBce of Experiment Stations Bull. No. r26, j; pp.--Two series of digestion experiments with men are reported in detail. T h e first, which was a continuation of earlier work and included nine experiments, was made with bread from different grades of hard spring wheat flour, and the second, including fifteen experiments, was the beginning of proposed investigations with the products of soft winter wheat. While the protein content of patent flour was somewhat lower than that of entire wheat or Graham flour, the proportion of digestible protein and the available energy was greater than in the coarser grades. There was no marked difference in the digestibility of different grades of patent flour. The results of the experiments with both hard and soft wheat show no increase in the digestibility of flour due to the retention of a large proportion of bran and germ. On account of their tendency to increase peristaltic action the coarser flours are considered especially valuable for some persons. H. W. LAWSON.
Food Adulteration in Wyoming. BY E. E. SLOSSON.Wyo. Agr. Expt. S f a . Bull. No. 5 6 , 34 pp.-The results of examinations of a number of samples of spices, tea, coffee, jams, jellies, canned vegetables, vinegar, and alcoholic liquors are reported, and the new law regulating the sale of foods, beverages, drugs, and illuminating oil, which takes effect September 30, 1903, is appended. Comments are also made on the extent of food adulteration in the state and on the use of preservatives.
H.W. LAWSON.
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Review of Atxrrican Chemical Research.
A Study of Cider Making in France, Germany, and England, with Comments and Comparisons on American Work. RP W. B. ALWOOD. U. S. Dept. Agr., Bureau of Chein., Bull. A'o. 71, I 14 pp.-The author describes methods observed in France, Germany and England in the manufacture of cider, including harvesting the fruit, production of must, fermentation, clarification, etc. Analyses of a large number of samples of cider are included and a brief list of references on cider-making is appended. H. W. LAWSOX.
American Wines at the Paris Exposition in 1900: Their Chemical Composition and Character. BY H. W. WILET. U. S. Debt. Agr., Bureauof Chem., Bull. No. 72, pp. 7-24.--T'ery complete analyses are reported of nine samples of sparkling wines, two of brandies, fourteen of dry white mines, twenty-two of dry red wines, ten of sweet white wines, and nine of sweet red wines made by wine-makers receiving awards a t the Paris Exposition. A large number of the samples conformed to the requirements fixed for Europeans wines. H. IT'. 1,xrvsos. The Manufacture of Wine in California. BY H. LACHNAN. Lr, S. Dept. Agr., Bureau of Chem., Bull. No. 72, pp. 2j-40.Methods of harvesting, fermentation, clarification, bottling, etc., are described, and a list is given of the varieties of wine produced in California. H. W.LAWSON. Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Convention of the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, Held at Washington, D. C., October 2, 3, and 4, 1902. U. S. Debt. .4gr., Bzireau of Chem., Bull. No. 73, 187 pp.-This is an official account of the proceedings, edited by the secretary of the association, H. W. Wiley. A summarized report of the convention was given i n this Journal, R . , 8, j36. A paper by E. Gudenian on The Determination of Glucose," which was not read at the meeting, and a Memoir of the late R. C. Kedzie, by I,. S . Munson, hare been included. An excellent portrait of Dr. Kedzie serves as a frontispiece to the bulletin. H. W.LAWSOX. I '
PATENTS. 1902. 714,687. Emile A. Fourneaux, New York, N. U. Assignor to Herman A. Metz, same place. Lakes from salphur dyes. A solution of a sulphur dye is precipitated by the salt of an earth alkali metal, the precipitate thoroughly washed, dissolved in alkaline liquor and the lake formed by adding a suitable metallic salt as aluminum hydroxide, and the mixture heated till the lake is brightest. 714~748. Henry M. Scott and Hakon Anderson, Sheboygan DECEXBER 2 ,
