July, 1912
T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D C J S T R I A L AA’D E N G I N E E R I N G C H E i V I I S T R Y .
detail, has been followed year after year until we now have the results for 14 generations (the samples for the fifteenth generation have not yet been analyzed). I n this manner four different strains emanating from the same variety have been derived. I t has been extremely interesting t o watch their gradual evolution. This may be shown in outline by the following tabular arrangement : :‘
Year. 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 ‘1’901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910
Year. 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910
BREEDING FOR HIGH AND LOW PROTEIN. Average per cent. protein in crop each generation. High protein. Low protein. Difference. 10.92 11.10 11 .05 11.46 12.32 14.12 12.34 13.04 15.03 14 72 14.26 13 89 13 94 13.41 14.87
10.92 10.55 10.55 9.86 9.34 10.04 8.22 8.62 9.27 8.57 8.64 7.32 8.96 7.65 8.25
0.00 0.55 0.50 1.60 2.98 4.08 4.12 4.42 5.76 6.15 5.62 6.57 4.98 5.76 6.62
BREEDING FOR HIGHA N D L O W OIL. Average per cent. oil in crop each generation. High oil. Low oil. Difference. 4.70 4.73 5.15 5.64 6.12 6.09 6.41 6.50 6.97 7.29 7.37 7.43 7.19 7.05 7.72
4.70 4.06 3.99 3.82 3.57 3.43 3.02 2.97 2.89 2.58 2.66 2.59 2.39 2.35 2.11
0.00 0.67 1.16 1.82 2.55 2.66 3.39 .3.53 .%.08 4.71 4.71 4.84 4.80 4.70 5.61
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now nearly twice as rich in protein as the other, and two other strains have been developed, the one of which is now more than three times as rich in oil as the other. The question arises as t o the effect of this selection upon the composition of parts of the plant outside of the kernel. This matter has been studied by analyzing each year different plant parts in the various strains. Without entering into a n y discussion of the results i t may be stated in a general way t h a t as yet we have been able t o find no pronounced changes in the composition of other parts of the plant resulting from the changes produced in the grain. Another practical question always arises in this connection, and t h a t is regarding the effect of this selection upon productive qualities. I t may be said t h a t in spite of the rigorous selection for special characters to which this corn has been subjected, the yields in these four strains have, in general, been quite well maintained. Selection for high protein seems t o have been accompanied in this instance b y a somewhat diminished yield as measured b y bushels of corn per acre. If, however, we place it upon the basis of pounds of protein per acre our high protein strain is sufficiently higher in percentage, so t h a t it yields more protein per acre than the ordinary varieties growing alongside i t in the productivity tests. AGRICULTURE. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.
COLLEGE O F
RELATION OF ACTIVE POTASH TO POT EXPERIMENTS.’ B y G. S. FRAPS. Received .March 25. 1912
By the term “active potash” we mean t h a t soluble in N / s nitric acid. This solvent has been in use for some time for extracting the more soluble potash and phosphoric acid from the soil. As pointed out in a I n considering these data attention should be called previous article, the quantity of phosphoric acid to the fact t h a t environmental conditions exert an extracted is related t o the results of pot .experiments influence upon the protein as well as the oil content on the soil. Similar experiments will here be reported and a study of these results reveals some pronounced on potash. Pot experiments with representative Texas soils seasonal effects. By having a “high” and a “low” plot of each, however, we obtain a check which enables have been made at this station for seven years. The us t o eliminate these seasonal effects t o some extent. experiments have been carried on under diverse conThus the last column of the table showing the dif- ditions, sometimes not favorable tothe bestgrowthof the ference in per cent. each year furnishes the best plants. The plants were grown in Wagner pots containing 500 grams soil, applications of fertilizer being made information of the real progress due t o heredity. Without going furt,her into a detailed discussion t o the various pots. The pots were kept in houses of the figures we may say b y way of summary t h a t covered partly or completely with canvas, in order starting with a variety of corn of average composition t o moderate the temperature. A crop is regarded as i t has been possible by 14 years of breeding t o very deficient if it is only 50 per cent. or less, of the increase , t h e protein content from 10.92 per cent. completely fertilized crop. If less than 90 per cent., in the original, t o 14.87per cent. in the crop of 1910, i t is considered deficient (D). If between 90 and I I O at the same time b y selection in the opposite direction, per cent., i t is considered as not deficient (S). If t o decrease this constituent t o 8 . 2 5 per cent. Even over I I O per cent., i t is considered t h a t the fertilizer more striking changes than these have been produced injures the crop (T). The crop without potash ( P N ) in the oil content. The oil has been increased from is always compared with the crop with potash ( P N K ) . 4.70 per cent. in the original t o 7 . 7 2 per cent in the Relation of Deficiency to Active Potash.-The 172 crop of 1910 while a t the same time in another strain soils studied have been divided into groups according i t has been decreased to 2 . I I per cent. t o thcir content of active potash. The following I n other words, out of a single variety of corn 1 A full account of this work will he published as Riillefzn 146 of thr two strains have been developed of which one is Texas Experiment Station.
T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A I , A N D I'.I.VGIiVEERING C I - I E M I S l ' R I T .
526
July, 1 9 1 2
table shows the percentages of deficient crops, D and DD, and of those injured by potash T. The percentage of deficient crops decreases with the quantity of active potash in the soil. The percentage of injured crops increases with t h e quantity of active potash in t h e soil.
moved by the crop which received no potash isgiven in Table IV. The average quantity of potash removed by t h r crop increases with the active potash content of the soil.
TABLEI.-RELATION O F ACTIVEPOTASHTO N U M R ~ Z R O F DEFICIENT CROPS. Active potash in soil. Percentage Percentage injured. Parts per deficient. million. (DD and D ) . (TI.
The average percentage of crops deficient in potash decreases with the active potash in the soil. 2 . The average percentage of crops injured by potash increases with t h e active potash in the soil. 3. The effect of fertilizer potash on the weight of t h e crop decreases as the active potash content of thc soil increases. 4. The percentage of potash in the crop increascs as t h e active potash in the soil increases. 5 . The total potash removed by the crop from t.hc soil increases as the active pntash r o n t e n t , of t h e soil increases.
0-50 50-100 100-150 150-200 200-300
7 17 16
86.7 55.1 54.3 39.1 37.5 42.6 15.0 18.0
300-400
400-600 600-800
17
31 25 46 44
Relation to TVeight of Crop.-The weight of the crop without potash divided by the weight with potash, expressed in percentages, shows the relative effect of the potash on t h e growth of the plant. The avcragc figures for 403 crops are given in Table 11. TABLEII.-RELATIVE SIZE O F CROP Active potash in soil in parts per million 0-50 50-100 100-1 50 150-200 200-300 300-400 400-600 600-800
WITHOUT A N D
WITH
PCllASH.
Percentagr PN/PNK. 67 79
84 91
100 98 *
101 116
The effect of fertilizer potash on the weight of thc crop decreases with the active potash in the soil. When the active potash exceeds zoo parts per million, the fertilizer potash effects no increase, on an average. Relation to P o t a s h Content of Crop.-The average potash content of ( a ) the corn crop and ( b ) the kaffir and sorghum crop, is given in Table 111. TABLEIII.-RELATION OF ACTIVEPOTASHOF SOILTO POTASHCONTENT O F CROP. Percentage of potash. Active potash in parts per million. Corn crop. Kaffir and sorghum crop.
.-
0-50 50-100 100- 150 150-200 200-300
30@-400 400-600 600-800
P
1.38
1.70 2.29 2.55 3.65 3.53 3.83 4.31
0.78 0.93 0.89 1.45 1.68 1.72 2.44 1.79
The potash content of the crops increases with, the active potash content of the soil. Relation of Active P o t a s h to Total Potash Removed.-The average and maximum quantity of potash rcTABLEIV.-RELATION OF QUANTITY OF POTASH REMOVED BY ~ L CROPS L TO ACTIVEPOTASHOF SOILS. Potash removed by crops in parts per million of soil. Potash in soil. r Parts per million. Average. Maximum. 0-50 50-100 100-1 50 150-200 200-300 300400 400-600 600-800
29.3 37.2 51 . O 80.9 120.1 156.9 119.4 206.9
53.4 143.3 176.2 249.6 434.6 354.8 295 8 380.8
S U M M A R Y h N D C 0 S C L U S I 0N S
.
I.
.\CRICULTURAL COl.T.EGE
EXPER1 M E S T STA I l i ) i Y , TFX-\S.
STATION.
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THE DETECTION OF FORMIC ACID IN FRUIT PRODUCTS. R y T.'. I . . SHANNON. RPrei\-rd March 22, 1912.
I n Kirii. 195, r i f t hc Dairy a i i d I'ood Dppartment of the Statc nf Michigan, the anthnr rallerJ attention to t h c fact that formic acid was being used in this country as a preservative of fruit products. It h a s lxen the general belief among chemists, Fcir somr time, t h a t some preservatives other than thr ones ordinarily found were being used in the preservation of fruit prrlrlucts, and investigations havr been made in various laboratories throughout, thc country for the purpose o f determining the identity of the substance used. Owing t o its use in Germany, a number have suspected formic acid and have built up their investigations with t h a t substance in mind, b u t because of the unsatisfactory and indirect methods of identification it has been difficult t o reach a positive conclusion. A search of the literature on the subject revealed the fact t h a t the detection of formic acid did not depend upon its isolation and subsequent identification, b u t mainly upon the indirect method of its reducing power, principally upon silver nitrate and mercuric chloride solution. For example, the older literature states t h a t formic acid is a constant constituent of many plant and animal products, a statement based on the fact t h a t when they are subjected to steam distillation some substance is obtained in the distillate which reduces silver nitrate and mercuric chloride solution. However, in view of recent investigations along this line, i t seems t h a t this whole subject of {he natural occurrence of formic acid needs further study, as it has been found possible t o subject a host of substances which were known to contain no formic acid, t o steam distillation and obtain a distillate which gave a pronounced reduction with both silver nitrate and mercuric chloride solution. From none of these substances, however, has it been possible t o isolate and identify formic acid as such. Therefore, it is evident t h a t . we are not justified in designating as formic acid every substance obtained by steam dis-
