in the sugar beets, but to the deficiency of sugar in the mangels. The regular diastase method gives something which is entered as starch, although it is perhaps doubtful if real starch exists in the roots. It will be noticed that in the case of the sugar beets, where sugar was determined by the polariscope, the sum of the sugar, starch and carbohydrates extracted by sodium hydrate from the residue left on treating with dilute sulphuric acid exceeds the total carbohydrates of the fodder analysis. This is doubtless due to the destruction of some sugar in drying the material. This is a difficulty met with in handling other material; in looking up analyses of tomatoes, for example, a considerable number of cases were found where the sum of the sugar, malic acid and ash exceeded the total dry matter.

In view of the fact that the sugar beets contained 40 per cent. more real albuminoids and 223 per cent. more carbohydrates than the mangels, it would seem that the higher feed value of the sugar beets would more than compensate the grower for the extra cost of harvesting them.

MATERIAL FOR PACKING HORSES' HOOFS.

By H. A. Huston and A. H. Bryan.

This material is said to be a natural product, and is ground and used in the form of a stiff paste. The material in the natural state has much the appearance of soap stone. The color is yellowish green, feel greasy, streak white, and hardness, I. The analysis in Table XXXIV shows that the principal ingredients of the material are as follows:

There is little iron present, so that the material may be con

sidered essentially a hydrated silicate of alumina.

COMPOSITION OF BONES OF SOUND HORSE AND OF BONES OF HORSE SUFFERING WITH OSTEOPEROSIS.

By H. A. Huston and A. H. Bryan.

Some time ago Dr. A. W. Bitting made an extensive series of invesigations on horses suffering with osteoperosis. In the course of these investigations the samples here reported on were collected. The two animals from which the bones were taken were in fair condition, so far as relates to flesh, but not fat. Their estimated weight was 1175 pounds each. After the animals were killed the bones were well cleaned from flesh and dried for a long period in the air. The weights of the air dried bones were as follows:

The humerus of each animal was taken for analysis. The bone of the normal horse was yellowish in color, while that of the diseased animal was grey and very brittle.

The analysis gave the following results, as shown in table XXXV.

*This was determined by subtracting the sum of moisture, ossein and fat from the amount of total combustible matter.

The loss in the case of the normal bone is probably due to failure to obtain all the moisture present. Moisture was determined by drying five hours in hydrogen at 100, C.

While marked differences appear in the composition of the two bones when expressed in percentages as above, the great difference in weight of the two bones of the same size does not permit of a fair opinion being formed of the changes really tak

ing place in passing from normal to diseased condition. This can be seen better by a comparison of the actual weights of the different ingredients in the two bones, as shown in table XXXVI.

TABLE XXXVI.

Weights of substances in horse bone, in grams.

A small gain of ossein seems to have occurred. This, however, may have been due to a modification of the nitrogen content during the changes incident to the disease. Properly speaking, the figures really show a gain of nitrogen equal to 1.54 grams or 0.15 per cent. of the weight of the normal bone. This difference might be found between two sound bones. The most conspicuous changes are in the reduction of the amounts of fat, phosphoric acid, lime, soda and nitrogen free organic matter.

ANALYSES OF MAPLE SUGAR.

By H. A. Huston and A. H. Bryan.

Four samples of maple sugar sent from Lawrence County were examined. Nos. 1 and 2 were made in Lawrence County. No. I was rather light color and considered a superior article; No. 2 was also of light color, but rather moist and was made later in the season by the same maker as No. 1. It was of the quality called "sappy." No. 3 was the firm light brown molded cake so common in our markets, while No. 4 was quite dark, soft and of quite different flavor from the others. It was considered of as poor quality as could be found on the market. Table XXXVII shows the results of the analyses.

TABLE XXXVII.

Composition of samples of maple sugar in per cent.

It will be seen that the analyses of Nos. 1 and 2 differ but little, although there was considerable difference in flavor. No 3 is notable for its higher ash and the large yield of malic acid, while the physical qualities of No. 4 are due to the high amount of reducing sugar, due probably to bad management in the process of manufacture.

Accompanying these samples of sugar was a sample of what is known by maple sugar makers as "nitre," or "sugar sand.” The air dry materials showed:

The material is sometimes known as malate of lime.

The malic acid was determined by the method given in The Wiley's Prin. and Prac. Agr. Anal., Vol. III, p. 601. Kayser method given in Allen, Com. Org. Anal., Vol. I, p. 512, proved unsatisfactory in the presence of so much sugar.

Where this "nitre," which is a waste product, has accumulated to any great extent, it ought to be of some value as a source of malic acid.

TESTS FOR THE STRENGTH OF SOLUTIONS OF

FORMALDEHYDE.

By H. A. Huston.

The increase in the use of formalin makes a ready means of determining the amount of actual formaldehyde in the solution very desirable.

Allen's Commercial Organic Analysis, 3rd ed., p. 219, states on authority of W. A. Davis, that in solutions of fair purity, the amount of formaldehyde may be determined by the specific grav ity. A table is given showing the percentage by weight and volume of formaldehyde present in solutions of various specific gravities. This table has been revised, as the earlier figures were not applicable to the purer solutions sold in the last two years. These figures relate to foreign samples and it was determined to see if they were applicable to goods found on the American market.

For this purpose a number of samples of commercial formalin was purchased and the specific gravity and formaldehyde content determined. For the determination of formaldehyde a number of methods have been suggested. The oldest method is to treat the solution with an excess of ammonia of known strength, and after 24 hours to titrate the excess of ammonia with standard acid. Litmus is the most satisfactory indicator for this purpose. Another method is based on the fact that formadehyde combines with cyanide of potassium. This method was published by Dr. R. Romijn, in Zeit. fur Anal. Chemie, 1897, p. 19. The abstract of it given in The Analyst, and as used in Allen, is incorrect and introduces a very large working error. When the original working directions are followed, the method is a very satisfactory one, both in rapidity and accuracy. The above two methods were used to determine the formaldehyde in the samples under consideration.

Table XXXVIII shows the results which were obtained: