Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-17

uses tuCuuH PROCESS sHoNh
above, ,ghich he inuented. 1t
has been found that "oiled'
eggs keep better than ,ohen pre-
served in other solutions.
spot around the trunk; that makes an ideal
place
Ordinary paper or burlap bands formerly
were used by Uncle Sam to bandage such
trees. However, under such conditions 1t was
necessary to send men through the orchard at
intervals to destroy the larvae collected In the
bands. In an effort to eliminate this job.
specialists of the department have been ex-
perimenting with bands treated with various
chemicals which will kill the larvae. They
report that a combination of betanaphthol and
lubricating oil gives satisfactory results with
no apparent injury to the trees.
We're all familiar with banana oil" But
who ever heard of banana powder? Yet 1t Is
regarded as SO important to human welfare
that certain experts of the United States Bu-
reau of Home Economics recently have been
making tests with the powder to determine
its vitamin value for the diet of special types
of invalids and convalescents. The results thus
far are very encouraging. The powder, made
from fresh raw bananas, Is known to be
good source of vitamin G, retaining about
three fourths Of the fresh fruit vitamin G.
Other home economics experts of the bureau
have the novel Job of putting potatoes to the
"acid test" This is a simple method for Sc
Letting those storage potatoes which will make
good chips or French fries. test for the
soluble sugars in potatoes is the key that
unlocks the secret of their cooking qualities
since an excessive amount of these sugars pro-
duces a discoloration in French fries and
chips and sweetness in baked or boiled po-
tatoeS that is distasteful to many people.
Potatoes stored at temperatures ranging from
80 degrees to As degrees Fahrenheit accumu-
late certain soluble sugars a result OF the
breakdown of starch. In general, the lower
the storage temperature the greater the
amount of soluble sugars and the darker the
color of the chips.
To make the test sample from the center
Of the potato is placed in yellow solution OF
picric acid and sodium carbonate in small
test tube and heated over the flame OF an
alcohol lamp until it boils for half minute.
Samples from potatoes that have not been
stored at too low temperatures change the
color of the solution to an orange yellow, but
the excessive amount of sugars in tubers
stored at low temperatures changes the color
to deep red or brown
Probably the Strangest task OF all the Gov
eminent scientists Is that OF breeding insects
to cure bone diseases. This falls to the lot
Of DR.. G.. F. White, bug expert OF the Bureau
of Entomology.
Our story goes back to the battlef1elds OF
France during the World War and concerns an
accidental discovery made by the recently de-
ceased DR.. William S. Baer, eminent surgeon
of Johns Hopkins University, who served with
the American Expeditionary Forces. One day
there came to his attention a sight not out
Of the ordinary, apparently but one Wh1ch
caused him considerable reflection - two
wounded soldiers who had been lying on the
field for seven days were brought into the
staff hospital Their wounds were heavily