Historic, archived document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. # eetere*s DEPARTMENT BULLETIN No. 1194 ‘ Be) Washington, D.C. = December 22,1923 “oh. A CHEMICAL AND STRUCTURAL STUDY OF MESQUITE, CAROB, AND HONEY F Or re ae BS ot ‘ ae » ie LOCUST BEANS. . By G. P. Watton, Assistant Chemist, Cattle Food and Grain Investigation Laboratory, ‘= Bureau of Chemistry. p CONTENTS. - Page. Page Purpose of investigation .-.....-.....-.---... £5) Heeperimerital work: 23.2 o...<.:2s-.222-20-2: 5 0 FEE a ee en ee oe Pay Geers ¥- 2S s2 oo ewan = = oe eS nee ee is Muu Meoding value.--.---.--...-.--...-.-...----- Pu pPEMLEDAGHCS CILOO - 2-55 -< ot ease 2. a oo ee 18 Pee os PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION. ra ' Great quantities of mesquite beans are allowed to go to waste each year in the United States. In an effort to promote their utilization the Bureau of Chemistry undertook an investigation to determine whether or not these beans might be made to serve some useful pur- ose. 3 The literature was searched for data on the nutritive value of the mesquite fruit. Samples were analyzed in the laboratory to de- termine the content of sugar and other crude nutrients, and a process for separating the mesquite bean into its component parts was de- vised. The results of this work, supplemented by notes on carob _ and honey locust beans, are given in the following pages. : we? at. See OCCURRENCE. MESQUITE (Prosopis juliflora DC.). y FP; Mesquite, the most common woody plant of the southwestern arid region, has overrun millions of acres in the southwestern part of the United States. Its invasion of grazing lands, especially in Texas, _ has been so extensive and has occurred so rapidly that it may be com- pared to the inroads of the boll weevil into the Cotton Belt. Mesquite grows over a wide range of territory and will flourish _ where the more valuable carob can not exist. It is common in Hawaii, where it was introduced in 1828 and is known as the alga- roba” or kiawe bean (19) *, and in Jamaica, where it has been called vee i silk me weer Tt ey amty -F i ‘ > ; - 1 The work here reported was conducted under the supervision of G. L. Bidwell, chemist in charge, Cattle Food and Grain Investigation Laboratory. M. R. Coe, C. E. Goodrich, and F. G. Cauffman assisted in the analytical work. C. V. Piper, agrostologist in charge, forage-crop investigations, Bureau of Soe ad ae prepared the statement on the taxonomy of the mesquite and gave several references to erature. ’ : he peprey =) states that “algeroba” is the usual Hawaiian way of spelling and that this plant is not the e algaroba. 3 Italic numbers in parentheses throughout this bulletin refer to Literature Cited, page 18. a 59077—23—1 2 BULLETIN 1194, U. S. DEPAn.siuHNT OF AGRICULTURE. “cushaw (2). “iG-4s found also from the southern boundary of | Utah and Colorado to Chile, and has been introduced into India and South Africa, where it is attraeting favorable attention (5). The classification of this plant, according to Holsinger (14), is ‘‘one of the most perplexful questions.”” Wooton has classified it as Pro- sopis juliflora and as P. velutina, the latter being an arboreal form. Sargent (18) holds that forms identified as glandulosa (P. glandulosa Torr.) and velutvna are merely varieties of P. juliflora DC. Accord- ing to Piper*— The mesquites belong to the botanical genus Prosopis, in which there are about 30 valid species, although many more than this have been proposed. One species occurs in Persia and India, one in the eastern Mediterranean region, two in Africa, and the rest in America. Argentina is richest in species, 15 occurring in that country. In one group of species, the pods are coiled and hence called screw-beans. By some botanists these constitute a distinct genus, Strombocarpa. Two species of screw- beans occur in the United States and four in Argentina. The species of Prosopis here considered include P. juliflora, described from the West Indies, P. chilensis (Molina) Stuntz, originally described from Chile, and P. glandulosa and P. velutina of the south- western United States. P. juliflora is apparently the same as the older P. chilensis, which ranges from Patagonia to Texas. It was also introduced into the Philippines, where it was considered a distinct species and called P. vidaliana. P. glandulosa is the common mesquite of the Southwest and some botanists consider it a variety of P. chilensis (P. juliflora). P. velutina is a relatively rare plant of the Southwest and by Sargent is considered a pubescent variety of P. juliflora. In this paper the three (chilensis, glandulosa,and velutina) are treated as distinct species. The species so abundantly introduced into the Hawaiian Islands is P. chilensis and is there known as ‘‘kiawe’’ or ‘‘algaroba.’’ This last name is merely the Spanish name of the carob, which has been transferred to somewhat similar lezuminous trees, but its use for other than the true carob should be discouraged. In the West Indies the native mesquite is called ‘‘cashaw.’’ The common species in the United States (P. glandulosa Torr.) occurs from southern Califernia to Texas and Oklahoma. In modern times it has spread greatly and now occupies extensive areas formerly prairie. This is probably due to the seeds being carried by horses and cattle and not being injured in passing through the intestinal tract. : The form of P. glandulosa varies greatly, ranging from that of a handsome shade tree, attaining a height of 65 feet in favorable regions near Tucson, Ariz., to a scrubby bushlike growth, usually with an enormous development of the root system. The appearance of the fruit or pods from the southwestern United States varies somewhat with the region in which the beans are grown (Plates I and II). Pods from the Jornada Range Reserve in southwestern New Mexico (Plate I), reported as coming from bushes noticeably different in appearance, were of two distinct varieties. The long slender pods were creamy white, while the others were streaked with dark red or purple which gave them arusty cast. The appearance of the mesquite beans from Yuma, Ariz., (Pl. I, fig. 2) is not typical because of breakage. After a favorable season the quantities of mesquite beans avail- able over large areas of southwestern United States are limited only by the facilities for gathering the ripe fruit. Wilson (25) states that in southern New Mexico it 1s not uncommon to see a medium-sized bush, with a spread of not more than 14 to 18 feet, bearing from 1 to 14 bushels of beans. Although the process of gathering the fruit is tedious, during the 1917 season it could be secured for from 20 to 30 cents per 100 pounds. A native worker at the New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station gathered about 175 pounds of dried 4 Unpublished communication from C. V. Piper, May, 1923. 3 MESQUITE, CAROB, AND. HONEY LOCUST BEANS. 3 beans in a day (26). Since the pods weigh but 21 pounds to the _ bushel (8), however, the man gathered only 84 bushels, not a very _ strenuous day’s work. In a northwestern province of India, a good tree may yield more than 200 pounds of ripe fruit a year (5). In 1917 mesquite beans were gathered and shipped by the carload in Texas (26) and in the preceding year mesquite meal to the value of about $225,000 was fed to livestock in Hawan. Wilcox states that mesquite beans, gathered by women and children in Hawaii, have been sold for from $7.50 to $10 a ton (24). | The yield of fruit, of course, varies with the type and size of the tree or bush. It has been stated that 1 acre of land well covered with the trees may produce 100 bushels of fruit per year (4 and 20). _ Two crops a year have been produced in Arizona (23) and in Texas, | the early crop ripening during the first half of July and the second during the first half of September. Near Yuma, Ariz., the fruit begins to mature early in July. The dry, ripe fruit is said to keep well in storage (5). HONEY LOCUST (Gleditsia triacanthos L.). Like the mesquite, the honey locust is classed as a member of the order Leguminose, but it belongs to the family Cesalpiniacee. — It grows in western New York and over a large area south from that region. ‘The fruit ripens from the middle to the last part of autumn. _ The pods and the young trees are relished by livestock. The ripe _ pods, with their sirupy pulp, are popular with human beings, especially _ children. Because of the richness of the fruit in sugars and protein, - this plant may prove to be of economic value. CAROB (Ceratonia siliqua L.). ; The carob, or Saint-John’s bread, tree is also a member of the _ family Cesalpiniacee. Because of its sensitiveness to frosts, the carob tree is not grown extensively in the United States outside the citrus fruit belts. Condit (6) has studied thoroughly the climatic and soil requirements for the successful cultivation of the tree. _ The importation of carob beans into the United States through the _ Atlantic seaboard is of some consequence. Approximately 400 tons _ of pulverized beans are consumed annually to flavor chewing tobacco, and the ground pods are utilized to some extent as an ingredient of Beoprictary calf meals, which they are supposed to make more palata- _ ble and attractive. Carob pods grown in southern Europe are exten- _ sively used for stock feed, and some of the highly esteemed varieties _ for human consumption. _ According to Condit (6), the older trees should yield from 450 to _ 550 pounds of fruit annually. Yields as high as 3,000 pounds a tree have been reported from southern Europe. In southern California the estimated yield per tree from 15 to 30 years old ranges from 20 to 400 pounds. FEEDING VALUE. MESQUITE. __ A trial feeding of ground dried mesquite fruit to eight grade Duroc-Jersey pigs is reported by Foster (8) and by Garcia (10) of _ the New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station. The production y - ‘ h ,. =e ‘ 4 BULLETIN 1194, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. value of the beans was compared with that of corn over a period of 76 days. During the first four weeks of the trial the ground mesquite beans were only 4 or 5 per cent less efficient than corn. Their effi- ciency decreased in comparison with corn, however, so that from the end of the fourth week to the end of the experiment, they were only about half as valuable, pound for pound, as corn. When grains were worth $1.50 per 100 pounds, the entire mesquite beans, properly eround and fed to pigs, were worth only 80 cents per 100 pounds. Foster and Garcia state that it has been ‘‘estimated’’ that the entire bean, including the seed, contains the following quantities of diges- tible nutrients in 100 pounds: Crude protein, 8.34 pounds; carbo- hydrates, 54.02 pounds; fats, 2.4 pounds. These values compare favorably with those reported for barley. From an inconclusive feeding trial conducted by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, Henke (14) concluded that the ground fruit possessed merit as a hog feed, but that the ration containing this material was not equal to a standard Corn-Belt ration. The unground pods seemed to be equal in fattening value to the meal, but these results were not considered conclusive. Few statements that the fruit of the mesquite exerts an injurious effect upon the health of animals eating it appear in the literature. After heartily indorsing the sound beans as food for stock, Abrahams (1) issued a vigorous warning against the baneful effects of the ' “cashaw”’ fruit after it has been damaged by soaking, with subse- quent decomposition. In an appended note it is stated that the pods described as ‘‘cashaw”’ proved to be those of Prosopis julvflora. Robertson (1/7) has suggested that the deleterious effect of fermented pods is due to sprouting of the seeds. Goss (11) mentions that mesquite and tornillo beans® have a constipating effect upon animals. | On the other hand, most writers emphasize the eagerness with which mesquite beans are eaten by stock of all kinds. Griffiths (12) states that in southern Arizona ‘““mesquite forms much of the feed during hard times, not only in spring and early summer while it is succulent and green, but also in the winter, when it ordinarily would be considered worthless,’’ and that when pastures along the Santa Cruz were very short not only the pods but the leaves were eaten by cattle. Brown, however, states that browsing animals do not readily eat the foliage of the mesquite (4). | In Hawaii as early as 1906, Shorey (19) reported that mesquite beans were assuming an important place among local feedingstufts. Wilcox (24) states that ‘the algaroba, or kiawe (Prosopis julrflora), is commonly recognized as the most valuable tree which has thus far been introduced into the Territory of Hawau.”’ He continues: The pods are everywhere recognized as one of the most important grain feeds of the islands and are greatly relished by all kinds of livestock, including chickens. * * * Their (the beans’) feeding value has long been recognized from the prac- tical results obtained. As a feeding material there seems to be only one objection to them, and that is a slight flavor given to milk when the beans are fed in excess to the dairy cows. This objection, however, could be overcome by feeding the beans after milking, rather than before milking. 5 The tornillo, or serew-pod mesquite (P. pubescens, Benth.), is closely related to the common mesquite. Bul. 1194, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. PLATE Il. Fic. |.—MESQUITE BEANS FROM SOUTHWESTERN NEW MExIco. VARI- COLORED FRUIT WITH A HIGH SUGAR CONTENT, HAVING SEEDS OF LIGHT WEIGHT. Fic. 2.—MESQUITE BEANS FROM SOUTHWESTERN NEW MExICO. CREAM= COLORED FRUIT WITH A MEDIUM TO [LOW SUGAR CONTENT, HAVING HEAVY SEEDS. Bul. 1194, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. PLATE Ul. ee ee et eee ae = Fic. 2.—MESQUITE BEANS FROM YUMA, ARIZ. : rc . tr MESQUITE, CAROB, AND HONEY LOCUST BEANS. 5 HONEY LOCUST AND CAROB. No reference to the use of the honey locust as a cattle food, other than a statement that the pods are relished by stock, has been dis- covered in the literature. Woll, of the University of California, found that calves relish carob pods greatly and that 0.4 pound of these pods is practically as effective as 0.35 pound of ground barley in increasing body weight (16). According to Jaffa and Albro (1/6), carob pods have been used successfully also in feeding steers, for which purpose they should be cooked. EXPERIMENTAL WORK. MESQUITE. The fruit of the mesquite tree consists of at least two types of food material. The pericarp or pod, which includes the epicarp: (outer covering), the mesocarp (sugary pulp), and the endocarp (seed husks or seed capsules), contains nearly all of the sugar and most of the crude fiber, tannins, etc. The nutrients in this portion are wholly available to the digestive tract of animals eating the fruit. On the other hand, the seeds, which constitute the rest of the fruit and contain most of the protein and fat, pass practically unchanged through an animal consuming the natural whole fruit. The ease with which the entire seeds pass unchanged through the digestive tract is undoubtedly due largely to their smoothness, extreme hard- ness, and small size, as weli as in part to the relatively indigestible nature of the seed coat. Jxperiments recently reported by Brown indicate that the viability of seeds is not impaired by their passage through the digestive tracts of sheep (5). This property of the protective seed coat of the mesquite bean to resist digestion probably is aN important factor in the spreading of the mesquite into new territory. Undoubtedly much of the nutritive value of the beans is made available by grinding the mature fruit. Such an entire bean meal may serve aS an emergency or supplementary forage for stock. There are, however, serious obstacles to the extensive use of the beans in this way. Garcia (10) states: ‘“‘In the (New Mexico) station experiment, it was found difficult to grind them after the pods became thoroughly dried. The large quantity of sugar they contained made them so sticky that they clogged the mill.’’ More important is the tendency of the whole bean meal to ferment and spoil unless it is kept dry. This would militate against its use as a commercial feedingstuff. Because of the dissimilarity of the two portions of mesquite beans, it is reasonable to assume that the greatest usefulness of each product will be found in treating it as a separate commodity. The problem of its most complete utilization, then, resolves itself into devising means for readily and economically separating the fruit into (qa) sugary pod and husk material and (6) high protein seed meal. e first experimental work was done in the vicinity of San Antonio, Tex., and data and samples were submitted by the chamber of commerce of that city. An attempt had been made to separate the dried fruit of the mesquite in such a way that material rich in 6 BULLETIN 1194, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. the sugar of the pods and material with a high content of protein would be secured. The milling process to which the dried fruit was subjected was somewhat similar to the milling received by wheat in making flour. Table 1 summarizes the analytical data * thus obtained. TaBLE 1.—Composition of dried mesquite fruit separated by experimental milling. Sam- | | Ether | Crud Nitto-) ne. am- : er | Crude | gen- | : Mois- | - | Crude | | ing Su- | Galaec- ple | Material analyzed. ture. | Ash. ed pre | fiber. pe sugars erase.’ tans: | tract ee 29973 | Coarse separation, largely seed | P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct. | P.ct.| P.ct. | P. ct: |e eMISKS) cee ease Sees toot ees 6.6 3.63), 0.9 | «5.221, 42.6) 41527. 0 29975 | Coarser portion of second sepa- | ration, containing much seed | WA 23.4 47.1 03, |252.30 8. 71 Mavenial cs pe ce eSep ase = erie Pay el Mes es Pa 29976 | Fine separation, high in sugar | | | mMaeriqes s. fa2. cee See aa 9.8)0_ O20) 9256 | O12 eG 2a SeiGal | 609) eo 6G 1.61 29972 | Whole fruit, ground..........- 4.5 1.9 } 69|° 45] 1.9] 11.6] 23.9] 51.2] .04 20.69] 1.86 } 3 | 1 The protein and sugar results show that the separations were very imperfect. Batches of ground, dried fruit were prepared later, under the supervision of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, especially for the purpose of determining whether or not it would be practicable 4 to gather the fruit when still slightly green or whether it would be 4 necessary to allow it to fully mature on the tree. The composition of 4 material of these two types is given in Table 2. Sample 30178 repre- 4 sents the slightly immature sun-dried fruit, and sample 30179 the i fully matured fruit. Except for a somewhat higher sugar content in the fruit picked just before maturity and sun dried, there appears to be no significant difference in composition between the two lots. | An effort was made to prepare sugar (sucrose), or at least an edible {| sirup, from sample 30179. Neither could be obtained from ground whole fruit by any process which would lend itself to commercial use, owing probably to the presence of the protein of the seeds. B elaborate purification of a water extract of mesquite pod material, crystalline sucrose (cane sugar) was prepared and identified by crystallographic criteria. The method of purification used would not be practicable on a commercial scale. Many years ago Steel (21) identified the principal sugar of the mesquite pod as sucrose. _ If sugar ever is to be prepared from mesquite, the first step in the process of manufacture must be a fairly clean separation of seed material from pod and husk material. Part of the experimental work of the Arizona station (7) therefore was repeated. A representative sample of second crop fruit (sample 32869), composed of mature fruit, but slightly below average in quality because of a wet season (Pl. I, fig. 1), was separated by hand into pod material, husks or seed capsules, seed coats, and seed kernels. The beans had been picked on August 29 and when harvested had a moisture content of over 31 per cent. The composition of this fruit, calculated to the air-dry and moisture-free bases, is shown in Table 2. 6 The methods of chemical analysis used throughout this work are those of the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, or such slight modifications of the official methods as are best adapted to material like mesquite beans. The Bryan-Given-Straughn alcohol-extraction method was used in the sugar deter- minations. Oe Ee eat ade eee MESQUITE, CAROB, AND HONEY LOCUST BEANS. 7 TABLE 2.—Composition of entire mesquite fruit. Air-dry basis. Pod Seed / | = Re- Sam- Ether Crude Nitro- por- por- a ~ | duc- | = re fa tion tion Moist- rena Pt oe Crude ees ing Su- 5 (entire (by | ure. (crude (NX fiber. ex. sugars crose. epi- | differ- | fat). | 6.25). tract. | 2S in- Carp). ence). vert. 29972 | Mesquite bean meal | “from froit of sumimer ; P. ct. | P. ct. | P. ct. | P. ct. | P. ct. | P. ct.| P. ct. | P. ct. | P. ct. | P. crop (San Antonio, ; See cee ee 6.9). 4.5 1.9} 11.6} 23.9; 51.2| 0.04; 20.69 30178 | Mesquite bean meal | | of fall crop, not fully matured (San An- | STE Ee SS oes eee eee 30179 re bean meal | 5.6) 4.5) 2.6) 122| 2.7 544) None. 23.77 | _ sample 30178......... Bas eee 5.6 4.6 2.3 13.0 21.9 52.6 ; 0.02 19.11 32869 | Whole beans, fully | . 2 | Matured, fall crop | | F .| _ (San Antonio, Tex.)_| 8.4 16.6 10.1 3.5 1.9; 11.7| 2.8) 46.0) 129; 13.8 36452 | Whole beans, fully | matured (Yuma, | ; lp oe ia | 79.5 | -20.5 5.5 4.2} 1.9) 11.9 | 29.7] 36453 Whole beans with large | 2 eae | 88.3; 1.7; 9.2) 40 9| 9.5) 18.4] 58.0 2.43 31.03 36454 | Whole beans with pods | less fleshy than those | of sample 36453 | (Bard, Calif.)........ | 36.0; 14.0] 13.5; 40] 11| 9.8] 26.9} 44.7 9% 17.70 Average(7samples))184.3 115.7) 81 42 18 11.4 240 50.5 92 20.31 | Moisture-free basis. Sam- ae — | — Ether Crude 'Nitro- a fe ret | Hon | Him | aan | ke | Pier [Gmde| SE | ine | su: oe (entire) (by " (crude (NX fiber. Gx. Sugars} crose. ae et fat). 6.25). tract. | 25 22- | Carp). | ence) vert. . 29972 | Mesquite bean meal from fruit Ge sanemer crop (San -An- 7. cf \P. et. | P. ch} Ps ct2| P.-ct-| P. ct. | P. ct: | P. ct.\ P. ct: CTE ad Mt Of a ee ees ba FPmaBe 4.8 ZF | -3225-) 25.7% | 5550-12 0.04] 22. . 30178 | Mesquite bean meal from sun- — dried fruit of fall crop, not | fully matured (San Antonio, | ie) SFE ee eee (326.38 Fae 4.8 2.8 | 12.9-| 21.9 | 57.6 |None. | 25.18 30179 | Mesquite bean meal from fully- | ! matured fruit; otherwise like sample DNS 2. =o a Se be oak toe ee 4.9 2.5.\, 13.8 |°.23.1-| 55.7) 0.02 | 20:24 32869 | Whole beans, fully matured, | fall crop (San Antonio, Tex.).. 83.0 17.0 3.9 2A} 93:0 | 29.8 |. 51.2 36452 | Whole beans, fully matured | 4 (penta “Ars =). 3. - 2232 FS | -79.9 | 20.1 4.5 2:0 |. (42;5 1 ‘31.51 49:5 }-1-781 “17.01 36453 | Whole beans with large fleshy | ’ pods (Bard, CGalif.).......... | 87.8 | 12.2 4.4 1.0) -10.5.|- 20.2) 63.9 | 2.68 | 3417 36454 Whole beans with pods less | | fleshy than those of sample | 36453 (Bard, Calif.).=.....--- | 84.6 | 15. Average (7 samples).-....| 183.8 |116. 1.44 15.38 | 46; 1.3] 113! 31.1] 51.7) 1.11] 20046 4.6 20. 12.3 26.2 549 1.01) 22.09 _ 1 Average results for four samples, The proportion of pod material increases with the moisture content of the whole sample. ‘ The average weight per whole bean was 3.989 grams when picked, and 3.054 grams when air dry (with a moisture content of 10.1 per cent). This means that the fruit ran approximately 114 beans to the pound when picked and 148 to the pound, air-dry. Table 3 gives the dimensions of representative whole beans, the number of seeds to the pod, and other data obtained from an exam- ination of 200 specimens of the sound mature fruit. Dimensions were recorded for only a few specimens. The separations into the morphological components were made by hand. = f 3, 4 pa « BULLETIN 1194, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. o.) TABLE 3.— Morphological data on mesquite beans (sample 32869). Length. | Breadth. | "Thickness.1 Reco seeds to Ave. | Min. | Max. | Ave. | Min. | Max. | Ave. | Min. | Max. | Ave. Min. | Max. Mm.| Mm. | Mm.| Mm.| Mm.| Mm. |} Mm.| Mm. | Mm. 120); 197| 160.5] 58] 9-11] 810} 45] 5-6 | 44-53 11 pla as | ; | | | Air-dry basis (moisture 10.1 per cent).8 Moisture-free basis.3 | Seed | ; \ Pods : (epicarp, husks or First- First- eR capsules grade | Imperfect Bode Seed nid Imperfect nETeSO- (endocarp| sound _ seeds,ete. + a husks. ode seeds, etc. carp) and some |_ seeds. 2 il dee mesocarp).. ; Per cent. | Percent. | Percent. | Per cent. | Percent. | Per cent. | Per cent. | Per cent. I! 56.44 26. 98 15.32 1a 55. 21 27.76 15.73 1.30 | | 1 Seed-bearing portion. | 2 Sixty-eight per cent of the pods examined contained from 16 to 20 seeds, while &5 per a) cent of the pods contained from 15 to 21 seeds. i 3 Determinations reported by weight. i TABLE 4.—Composition of portions of mesquite bean obtained by hand separation. i i| : Nl | Air-dry basis. } | fe f Sa $ & © do: od || Sam-| portion analyzed (from BS aa.) Be rn eee ea bos | ple sample 32869) oe: hess Ree ae, [eaten ge. | No. Pp : S odes pig er RS Q | we 4 | “|| Por me | | i] Oo; Fi pe oc 3 3 mB | BS = eal wows a wr | a8 D S | a= pee she he | et) nee pe ek | seen mi = = | | S = ont a a oS pV = 2 o 2 | 8 a | S ay = <4 | 'S) Soa eae ig oc eaa ao Pp | ———E ae — ee | | | | 32947 | Pod material (epicarp and Per ct. Per ct. Per ct. Per ct. Per ct. Per ct. Perct. Per ct. Per ct. Per ct. Per ct. most of mesocarp)?..--... 56.44, 12.45) 3.29) 1.54] 6.74] 28.11] 47.87) 3.97) 17.56) 17.03) 39.31 32948 | Seed capsules or husks (en- | docarp and some meso- | Ct eee a ee ee 26.98 7.89, 3.34, .86| 4.45) 44.14) 39.32) 2.73) 10.95) 16.83) 38.81 33245a| Seed coats (test#)4........ |. 2533-9567) 2.04. 28} 4.50) 1183) 7218 |e a) locas | cstee ee 33245b| Seed kernels (embryos)4.... 7.99 6.65 4. a 6. 77,965.19) 1. 91 14. 24 oc ecek pres-es [i sre a 2 eer | | =. Moisture-free basis. b | } | eS, = mT » , | qd | [) = AR = 2 s ° 3 Seb ¢ | 88/32/53 |B ileal & = is i Sbe| € |e.) So | ore Geom bes 8 E i m < |F 6) OA Slits D a =) | ee —— — | | | 32947 | Pod material (epicarp and most | P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct. | of ee Pt Deas 55.21 3.76 1.76, 7.70 32.10 54.68, 4.54] 20.06| 19. 45) 10. 63 | 32948 | Seed capsules or husks (endoc | and as mesocarp) : ae te eo 27.76) 3.63] .93| 4.83) 47.92) 42.69) 2.96) 11.89) 18. 27| 3 9.57 33245a| Seed coats (teste) #!.........---- 7.40, 2.26 31) 4,98) 12.54) 79.91). .....|-....-).---2-|eee eee \} 33245b| Seed kernels (embryos) 4.......- Sooo ones de | 69. 83) 2. 05) 15. 59. S52 |-.-ce eel aooseel eee sii | OS a Sal aT i erent bam eS I tera Fd 2 by SES re Mi + 1 The remainder (1.26 per cent) consisted of imperfect seeds and waste. 2 The mesocarp is aS pulp, which on drying adheres to both the outer pod and capsule. 3 Contained a anaes a ape : MK 4 Obtained from frst-grade seeds only. : 5 Albuminoid mieroeete as determined on the kernels by the official (Stutzer) method, constituted 86.26 | per cent o/ the total nitrogen and was equivalent to 56.23 per cent of albuminoid protein. i 6 Starch was entirely absent. 4 Poet NM = - “MESQUITE, CAROB, AND HONEY LOCUST BEANS. g 13,111 seeds to the pound. Forbes (7) states that the small flat seeds are from one-third to one-fourth inch long. The seeds he examined were heavier than those examined in this investigation, approxi- mately 9,600 weighing a pound. | | A careful hand separation of over 700 perfect seeds into the seed coats, or integuments, and kernels gave the following results by weight on the air-dry material: Coats (teste), 47.86 per cent; kernels (em- bryos), 52.14 per cent. : : 2 Table 4 shows the results of chemical analyses of the portions of the mesquite obtained by careful hand separation. The calculated composition of the two radically different portions of the fruit (the sweet, fragrant portion, composed of the entire peri- carp, and the seed portion) is shown in Table 5. TABLE 5.—Calculated composition of the two principal portions of mesquite fruit (sep- arated by hand). Air-dry basis, | i | | ® | | po: Propor- | Ni- | Re- | | f seen fruit ont of Ether Crude | aS a Pant ones (sample 32869). entire Mois-) es Peco ee Crude} gen- | ing | Su- | to- | Tan- t oe fruit |ture.|“S" | a oe fiber.| free |sugars\crose. sans.| nins. | _“€! (by | wars greats: ex- /asin- rat weight).2 | fat). | 25). tract. | vert. aoe Entire pericarp (sugary pod and seed capsule }- P.ct.. |P.ct.|P.ct.|P.ct.|P. ct.|P. ct.|P. ct.|P. ct.|P. ct.| P. ct. |P. ct. |P. ct. material)............. 83.42) 10.97|° 3.31) 1.32) 6. 00) 33. 29| 45.11] 3.57} 15.42) 16.97) Trace.| 9.15 Entire first-grade seeds | | | (sound and mature). - 15. 32} 8.10 3.55) 3.66) a6.14) AZ BS ge Ae gt (ele ape, cy peer Moisture-free basis. Part of fruit eal Ether | Crude | ae | ae Un- pee entire | ah ae aa Crude! gen- | ing | Su- te Tan- Se cate ‘del (Nx | fiber. | free |sugars crose. ning) (by —— e (NX | ox dd ane sans. bere | weight). | a ). : D) « ed. | tract. | vert. ! —— | = =| —— |e ~ ae AS Entire pericarp (su- gary pod and seed| P.ct. P.ct.| P:ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct capsule material) . ...| 82.97, 3.72) 1.48) 6.74) 37.39) 50.67| 4.01! 17.33, 19.06) Trace.| 10.27 Entire first-grade seeds (soundandmature)... 15.73, 3.86 3.99, 39.32 G8). 5. B5|-= 2x5 |-cnnees]-aese-n|soecse| cae | 1 1 The figures are calculated from the results in Table 4. ? The rest (1.26 per cent) consisted of imperfect seeds and waste. Efforts were next made to attain by the use of machinery the same sharp separation of the seed. The following machines were used: A small hand coffee mill; a small grain and bean cleaner, modeled after machines common in the industry and fitted with a blower fan, as well as with screens; and a large mortar and pestle. All these were hand operated. A new subdivision of the air-dry material from sample 32869 was thoroughly dried in a vacuum oven at 65° C. It seemed necessary to do the work on dry days, as the sugary portion of the pods absorbs 7 This is the average weight for more than 2,700 seeds. 59077—23——2 The sound first-grade seeds averaged 0.0346 gram’ in weight each, or 10 BULLETIN 1194, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, moisture from humid air very quickly. The dried beans were coarsely broken in the coffee mill in such a way as not to rupture the seed cap- sules, and the resulting material was shaken in a 3-millimeter sieve, through which only pod and sugary material passed. The material remaining on the sieve, consisting of the seed capsules, was further ground in the coffee mill, with the burrs set about 4 millimeters apart. This grinding rubbed off most of the sugary pulp material but broke few of the seed capsules, if any. After a second sieving on the 3-millimeter sieve the seed capsules were quite clean. The sugary material passing through the sieve was, of course, combined with the pod material. The burrs of the coffee mill were now set a little closer (from 2.4 to 3.2 millimeters apart), and the seed capsules were ground slowly through the mill. After putting the material through twice and sifting the smaller seeds through the 3-millimeter sieve, the material remaining on the sieve contained the broken capsules or husks and most of the whole seeds. The small seeds passing through the 3-millimeter sieve, for the most part imperfect, are identified as second-grade seeds. .The seeds and broken husks remaining on the 3-millimeter sieve were separated in the model grain and bean cleaner, and behaved much like threshed grain. The cleaner was so adjusted that the material passing through a screen having 4.8-millimeter circular holes was subjected to the action of the blower fan which completed the separation of seed from husks. Thus by the process described an excellent separation of the original dried beans into pod material, husk material, and seeds was secured. Next the first-grade seeds were milled by means of the mortar and pestle. They were first ‘“‘tempered’’ by having about 5 per cent of their weight of water added and being allowed to stand overnight in a closed vessel in cold storage. This softened and made somewhat elastic the seed coats, without affecting the kernel material. The low temperature inhibited fermentation. The tempered seeds were broken in the coffee mill, care being taken not to break the seed coats any more than could be helped. The broken seeds were rubbed in the mortar, using sufficient pressure on the pestle to grind the kernel material to a meal. The more elastic integuments were not broken to any great extent. The action of the coffee mill and mortar and pestle on the tempered seeds resembles that of the several breaks in a flour mill on tempered wheat. The well rubbed material was sifted through a 20-mesh sieve, and the seed coats remaining on it were returned to the mortar for further rubbing. Eventually a large part of the seed coats was rubbed free or practically free from kernel ma- terial. The material passing through the 20-mesh sieve, which contained all of the kernels and a small quantity of disintegrated seed coats, was further rubbed and sifted through a 40-mesh sieve. This “reduction”? process, similar to that employed in a flour mill, was continued until only two main products and a small quantity of material containing a little of the seed coats, designated ‘‘shorts,’’ were finally obtained. So little of this ‘‘shorts’’ material was obtained that it was combined with the kernel material. The relative quantities of the several portions of the mesquite bean obtained by this mechanical separation and their chemical composition are shown in Table 6 MESQUITE, CAROB, AND HONEY LOCUST BEANS. 11 TABLE 6.—Composition of portions of mesquite beans obtained by mechanical separation. | Partially dry basis. reeates 3 .|48 Sed f eae ~ . - } o Sam- Portion separated (from “Es Es ea a = Ze = = ple | sample 32869). ig =| 22 | ER) ¢ | ad | we ale: | Eee 5 O41! x | Selena tl S| Sales Ssh = ag Stee Bees tom | So = 2 | S40) 2 = as is < pe? | dn 5 = us) | Sc ow =) Th pw | =“ ~ ond oh 5 5 S —_ _ im Lan) CS A = ae Se | Ge 5 ie Ree @ | & | Dp ss | eS) eS ee ee ——s P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct. P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct.| P.ct. 33423 | Pod and sugary material..| 60.5, 2.82) 3.96 2.21) 9.81 29.19 52.01) 3.47) 19.93)...... 28. 61 33424 | Seed capsules or husks..... 255 od 10s. oa) eo) 42281 (525601 o0.4ol Luda) ae eee 26. 85 aeots | Seedtcoats 2.2.2.2... 6. }. 3.8) 9.14) 2.06; .59) 7.00) 10.94) 70.27; .05, .07| 14.54/334.95 32950 seed kernels ....-... 2. 3.6 6.06 4.86 7.29) 61.22) 2.63 17.94.None. 3.79; 5.65) 8.50 | } | | Moisture-free basis. Sex 3.14 me | ee 3 34> -|3@ of} 5) — Portion separated (from sample |_&=5 as = ae i era ; & om 32369). Eame: HEL eR | S | +S | we a | i 225 "9|"sla |sf\E=| 5 (8 | 8 p= BS:/eX|o }8e!1sa| 38) 8 | s | See 5 1363213 | S28 Poat-s 41 Sebo Sov a |sv!l| eel 2 |S @ 5 5 = is ~| <« |B Oo O14 ae" | a = - | Pci \ Pb Pel) Ps ct.| Pict. Poct} Pct) Pht Pte bee 33423 | Pod and sugary material......... 4.07| 2.27) 10.10) 30.04) 53.52) 3.57| 20.51)...... 44 33424 | Seed capsules or husks........... | 25:2 344). - 60} 4:34) 54533137. 29). 2-79) <7279|-2 PACT hh Pebetal SPOCOweasis 20s ool ce | 3.6 2.27 .65, 7.70) 12.04) 77.34.06 .08, 16.00 538. 46 en beer BEENOIS A ec coe 3.5, 5.17| 7.76; 65.17) 2.80) 19.10 None.| 4.03) 6.02 9.05 } ! ! i 1 The rest (7 per cent) includes the following: Imverfect or second-grade seeds, 2.3 per cent; miscellaneous mixture (offal), 3.4 per cent; and intangible loss, 1.3 per cent. The seeds and “offal”? were not analyzed. 2 Obtained from first-grade seeds only. 3 Contained 20.66 per cent of galactans. 4 To obtain these resultsit was necessary to assume moisture figures for the second-grade seeds and “ offal.”’ These seeds were assumed to have the same moisture content as the first-grade seeds. 5 Contained 22.74 per cent of galactans. A comparison of the results in Table 6 with those in Table 4, par- ticularly the figures for protein on the moisture-free materials, indi- cates that in the mechanical separation some seed material must have remained with the pods and that the milled seed coats contained a small quantity of the high-protein embryo substance. Both the protein and crude-fiber results suggest that an appreciable quantity of the seed-coat material is mixed with the kernels. Nevertheless, by this experimental milling, a means has been outlined for a reason- ably sharp mechanical separation of the fruit of the mesquite. It has been demonstrated, on a laboratory scale at least, that, provided the fruit is kept ‘‘bone-dry,”’ it is practicable to obtain by milling the entire pod material, containing over 94 per cent of the sugar originally present in the whole fruit, and the whole seeds. The seeds, after being moistened or tempered, may be milled, thus securing seed kernels in the form of meal or flour containing from 17.5 to more than 40 per cent of the total protein of the fruit, and seed coats, a sort of ‘‘bran”’ by-product. The seed-coat material contains over 14 per cent of pentosans, 20 per cent of galactans, and nearly 35 per cent of other readily hy- drolyzable carbohydrates. The absence of starch makes these unde- termined carbohydrates of interest as a possible source of uncommon sugars. 12 BULLETIN 1194, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. Containing over 60 per cent of crude protein, the embryo portion, or kernel meal, is one of the richest natural protein concentrates in the vegetable kingdom, slightly surpassing the oil-free kernels of cotton seed and peanuts. The reporting of the satisfactory results obtained in this labora- tory experiment should not be construed as a proof of the commercial feasibility of the process. The fruit used had been very thoroughly dried at low heat and the first stage of the milling was conducted in a dry atmosphere. However, in the arid Southwest and for many months in the semiarid regions, the atmospheric conditions are ideal for such drying and milling. Table 7 gives the results of the analyses of the four samples of beans * that were separated into seeds and pods. In order to deter- mine the true composition of the entire fruit of material like mesquite beans it is necessary to first divide the sample into two portions, such as pods (high in sugar) and seeds (high in protein), and analyze the portions separately, because of the difficulty in weighing out a repre- sentative charge from a ground sample of the whole beans. The averages of all available results for the composition of pods and seeds are given in Table 7. TABLE 7.—Average composition of pericarp and seed of mesquite beans. Partially dry Moisture-free basis. basis. =: iain 2 Seals E Pro- | Sample No. | | -por- | ther | Crude Nitro- Reduc- Mois- pon a | Ash, |eXtract A Crude| gen- |. 8 | Su- |Pento- ture ire’) ASO. | (erude| fiber. free ex- SU8®"S | crose. | sans fruit fat) (NX tract. | 2812- (by | 6.25). vert. weight). Entire pericarp (sugary pod | | and)seed capsule:portion):.- -|Per ct.) P.- ct. | Piet.| P.ct.\- Pacts| PP. ct)” Pct.) “Ps ct.\" 2. cts Pack. ASO O Ee a dratemith 5 -faisie sjoioa 10.97} 83.42) 3.72} 1.48] 6.74) 37.39) 50.67) 4.01} 17.33) 19.06 DOD 2. cic ctuacie ole Sicle'sis oisiaeee 5.08) 79.52) 4.73 1.14; 7.17) 37.43} 49.53 2el5! > QOi45 See eee S040 25 Seek Se SoS oek Soest 1.87) 87.41) 4.39 67) 6.94; 22.05} 65.95} - 3.05) 38.60)....... DOA eislaras'sc/siclets eis atieb ses 3.95| 84.44) 4.68 93) 4.51] 100). “6s68\— 31230) 056.51) 222 22. coat laeeeee Entire seeds: se De AE Os see OR, Se 1-5. 73|-4 16-58] 3.68],>4.13]~ 36.79], 7.538) 48.87)' 0.03) — 2.01) =a DOAN SAe eee cco dete ees sae (ald! 20.48) 3.48 5.56| 33.85} 7.85) 49.26 702). 3. O0|eeee Oso e eras seiacias Sone etamees 5.66} . 12.59) °4.40).. 3.04] 35.65) 7. 59) 49.32|-None.|) 2.32)--£2-5. SiG? Coa i ea es 4.98} 15.56] 4.26) 3.25) 34.73] 7.96) 49.80) None 2,43 |Seseeon IATIZONAH (3) 2 eS 55- bese 781) | + 26.90) 63.49)” 66309) 493.7.33) 9 O260|s, 462 49|n 78222: |e ae eee FAW arian (2): 2 o2=- = - ce - U4 Slots eee 5.16). 4.92) \v37. 23) 18553) 44 0G he 2% oe oc nome ree Average (9 samples) ...... 839|5 8:20584/= 45.07) 490 9360271 — ” 7a53lU A723 oe | Soe elena 1 Reported by Forbes (7) (3 samples). : 2 Average figures reported by Shorey (1/9), with slight corrections for nitrogen-free extract (2 samples). 3 Average for 7 samples only. 4 Calculated, assuming that all material not pericarp consists of seed. The results differ somewhat from those for the seed material actually recovered. In connection with the San Antonio experiments (p. 6), an attempt was made to separate by mechanical means the previously dried and ground fruit, or mesquite bean meal, into portions represen- tative of the pods, husks, and seeds. The best that could be accom- 8 Samples 32869, 36452, 36453, and 36454 represent beans from Texas, Arizona, and California, the com< position of the entire fruit of which is reported in Table 2. “a') Pizaer yy "espe peer = i Bee oa ¢ a a ee aay ae nad | ae MESQUITE, CAROB, AND HONEY LOCUST BEANS. 13 plished by sieving and the use of a blast of dry air (a winnowing process), which produced an effect not unlike that of suction fans or aspirators in a grain mill, was unsatisfactory. The results of this experiment, the proportionate weights of the several separations, and their chemical composition are reported in Table 8. TaBLE 8.—Chemical composition of separations from mesquite bean meal. | 3 a Composition. eee | is 3 2 s | | ge | 5g, 2 a i is Sam- . lege Se | Sah os | eases | E Portion separated from sample 30179. =¢5 KS ES | 8 Pee | wo 0. = c = . . _~- 2 | 4 | 0-4 e_3! s 3| x|& |88/sa| ¢ Sass we | 97 3 Saal BS we s) SO Oo | a a - is S2| a a gS | sl) as 5 Ss 3) oH a jo) n = oes | I ond ns = on = < |A oO | 0 |4 | 2) +2 | Bet\ P.ct.| P.ct.| P.et.| Peet. | B.ct.| P.ct:|-P. che} Poth 33311 | On 3 mm. sieve; largely husks.........| 17.6 | 2.3 | 5.5 | 0.4 sh |} 75h. $:})-3629° |< 1.0 6.9 33312 | Sugary concretions; on 3 mm. and on | ah 20-mesh sieve; ! heavy........--.---- | 2213.1]. 5.1] 1.4] 6.9] 17.5 | 66.0 |. 2.2 | 35.5 33313 | Broken seeds, husks, etc., on 10-mesh | SEE > a ae eee ee oe eel eae ake Sel a tat eacenee [ee Se ee | eee alec 33314 | Brokenseeds, sugary concretions, etc., through 10- on 20-mesh sieve._....... 13.0 | 7.4] 3.7] 2.3 | 17.4 | 12.4 | 56.8 None. 16.3 33315 | Broken husks, chaff, seed coats, etc., ie through 20- on 40-mesh sieve; light....; 7 Spl tate We Ps a ee OF: a UR 7.9 | bt | ee se 33316 | Broken seed kernels, coats, etc., through 33318 | Like sample 33317, but through 60- on PETES SIONO 5. 5558. 2 os seas oo oe 1972S! |) 4.8) fe 450}. D4: Oe 24-95) 55.2) 1.1) 2hs2 33319 | Like sample 33318, but with more sugar, | through 80-om 100-mesh sieve..........| 5.1) 4.1 | 4.5} 1.8] 10.0 19.9 | 59.7 | 1.2] 24.8 33320 | Through 100-mesh sieve; largely sugary | ESD o yg eee eee es (12.5) 4.1) 5.3 | 2.2] 12.8 | 12.1 | 63.5 | 1.0] 33.3 ~SEe Miscellaneous material and intangible | af 3 Se ee ree eC eee ee aoe ee AS (oe pees | eee Pe oes 1 The numbers of the sieves refer to the number of meshes to the inch; the mesh is square. 3 Not analyzed. 8 Insignificant miscellaneous material, not analyzed. Although the preparation of commercial sugar® for table sirup is not properly within the scope of this investigation, the analysis of the residue after subjecting the sugar-bearing material of the mesquite bean to water extraction (by diffusion) is pertinent. Sam- ples of pod, husk, and ground whole fruit were treated with boiling water, by diffusion, in such a way as to extract most of the soluble substances. The undissolved residues were dried, ground, and analyzed; and the nitrogen content, sugar content, and acidity of the water extracts were determined. Table 9 shows the quantity and composition of moisture-free undissolved residue, the quantity of moisture-free solids extracted, and the percentages of protein and sugars and the degree of acidity in the extracted solids, as calculated from the results of the deter- minations made on the water extract. ® Beet-sugar houses are often glad to obtain other material on which to work after the close of the 4-month beet-sugar season. Many turn their attention to the manufacture of sorghum sirup. If an abundant supply of mesquite pod material were available, it is possible that such factories could be operated on the manufacture of sugar or sirup from the pods, provided the problem of defecating and purifying an extract of this material were solved. 14 BULLETIN 11%, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. TABLE 9.—Chemical composition of undissolved residues and extracts from hot-water ex- traction of mesquite bean products (moisture-free basis). Product extracted by hot water. Mesquite beans (sam- ' ple 32869). Pods, epicarp, and mesocarp, sepa- rated by hand (sample 32947). Pod material from mechanical separa- tion (sample 33423). Seed capsules or husks, endocarp, separated by hand (sample 32948). Seed capsules from | mechanical separa- tion (sample 33424). Broken seed capsules from mesquite bean mesl (sample 33311). Mesquite bean meal | ')Solids extracted (sam- | (sample 30178). Thoroughly extract- | ed mesquite bean meal 30178). Material analyzed. Undissolved residue (sample 33764). | ple 33763). Undissolved residue | (sample 33766). ple 33765). Undisroleed residue (sample 33770). Solids extracted (sam- ple 33769). ‘Uhdissolved residue (sample 33768). ple 33767). (sample 33772). ple 33771 Usdisentved residue (sample 33776). | Renee residue (sample ple 33775). (sample 33774). ple 33773). ple 30609.) 7 a Solids extracted (sam- Tridiscalved residue Insoluble ae (sam- | Solids extracted (sam- Solids extracted (sam- | Solids extracted (sam- | Solids extracted (sam- | 3 Composition. 3 so. ! > | FoI oO o% 1 = ess ul Roi Il Meee ran 3 B , bo | KS aR oO RS n o Sse Oo | AN | S | os |g a Se BSE oi.) 3 | Seis ats & Soh . | BE lee] 8 /HS leper Ss | em jose) 4 | as) so| BS. ae].8 |B Oy < | A |e Oa ee a |A CouN. | acid | | per IP. tts\Pct- Pct Per. bP ct. Pek: | Pott. Pct eee 73.65) 203 | 2.2 jel4565|46.0' | 34:0 2-2. alee ee | 19.6 ole Cee eee heece 10.0 | 53.1 | 1,046 | | / 88.2] 1.5) 26) 71) 51.5) 37.3] 5] .2 |W. Reese Sea eee Area 9.6 | 53.1| 727 | } 59.7] 1.7) 2.5 | 8.6 | 51.1 | 36.1] .5 |None.|.....- : rea | pe Wed Ew eas eae 7.6 | 47.5) 805 | } | 92.50|* QE b)8 ly 28046407) 90 G5] area eee Ob iec22 hetestt TG ces, Het el 10.4 | 49.5] 845 | | 78.00 | 8/9222). °°.6.4. = 40./- G8L2uh SD Oshas- cde | aeeoser men ae FEC aaa farmers CPC Py: iaiaeten) ES ras 9.5 | 42.3| 957 [B822r] 2.0 bee eS 60.1 | BI Tals amelie cere | | | TE Gelso! sce fet $7 See | eee 5.1| 52.9] 740 70:0" <'3.9.| 22-5 | 140.) 33.1. | 48. 4eles ces eee | re | hee el Ei | bs he (emg moka a .1| 56.6 | 619 pares A ae I es es ee or 9 ee es | 1 The sum of ‘undissolved residue’? plus ‘‘solids extracted’’ is equal to the moisture-free substance in one original product extracted. 2 The figures representing the content of protein, sugars, and acidity in the “solids extracted’’ were obtained from results of actual determinations made on the water extracts, by calculating to a moisture- free basis. Table 10 gives the results of analysis, both those deteiraiiedns in the present investigation and those reported in the literature, for whole mesquite beans. ~ MESQUITE, CAROB, AND HONEY LOCUST BEANS. 15 TaBLeE 10.—Average composition of mesquite beans. | | Air-dry basis. eee ae Samples from— Ether | Crude | oN; E | extract | protein | Crude | ttfo- | Moisture. Ash. (crude (NX | fiber. | pe : ; Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent.| Per cent. | Per cent. 2 TLS SU a ee 12.3 | 5 3.3 0.6 | 9.0 | 23.4 51.4 lak ah be ines Zoos | | Maseonts (4 samples). -- _...--..-2.---.2-- 6.3 | 4.5 2.5 112.7 24.5 49.5 SEE SIGS ETS ES ee ee 11.4 | 4.0 1.0 9.7 22.6 51.3 New Mexico (1 sample)?................-- 4.8 3.4. 25 12.2 32.0 45.1 _ Texas (7 samples)3............-- wees = 4.4 2.7 12.4 | 25.7 47.9 = es +f a ae ate meee Salle Sie eee a apes (eS es 8 Lee : Tes United States}\yway 777 St cea Meee ine ee _alee Be eee Sate Ss Average. 7.2 | 4.3 2.4 12.10 25.4 48.6 = Ge fF New Mexico (Tornillo beans)............-. 5.1 | 3.0 | 1.0 9.8 19.3 | 61.8 z= Moisture-free basis. | os won| cate | eee | cman | ee (aude (NX fiber ee fat) 6.25) | = : ; 2 Per cent. Per cenit. Percent. Per cent. | Per cent. Jl 1 ee ae 3.7 0.7 10.2 26.8 | 58.6 =e eae Ges aoe Ea Arizona (4 samples)... + 24 Oe eos ft eee 4.8 a 113.5 26.2 52.8 oe ee ee eee 4.5 1.2 10.9 25.6 57.8 ow Mexico (V sample) - --_ 5... 2 aa. 3.6 2.6 12.8 33.6 47,4 emit =. ts. ss 4.8 2.9 13.3 27.6 | 51.4 : Mia. | %. x6 10) =-10.5 20.2) 39.5 Southwestern United States (14 samples).4Max...__. 5.5 5.4 a5. 1 34.6 | 63.9 Average 4.6 2.5. 13.0 | 27.4 52.5 ——— aa | New Mexico (Tornillo beans)...-..................... SF Ee 10.3 20.3 65.1 1 Albuminoid nitrogen constituted 86.8 per cent of the total nitrogen (average of 3 determinations (7) ). _ 2 The fuel value of this sample is reported to be 1765 calories per pound (3). * One of these samples represented pods picked green and dried, and another represented windfalls (9). HONEY LOCUST. ___A sample of the sound ripe fruit from a honey locust tree in the United States Department of Agriculture grounds in Washington, _D. C., was separated into pericarp and seeds, and the two portions _ were analyzed. Their composition and that of the whole fruit is given in Table 11. | sah theme era hgre eas 16 BULLETIN 1194, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. TaBLE 11.—Composition of honey locust and carob. | a Air-dry basis. mt ~ <>) ' ' eas Rus ae e | er ureess . Bony, RY | yi ui ares ll Sample No. Material. Ques} g Cel ie So jton Boe) ¢ So |5°| 8 [ss |88 | BEB) & eee | oO o eS S a] 2 ake S - | SB lg og 128 |Sesl ee Bec 2. (SS Bae Ss 1S aie eels Aa si 22575) 2247" 4555)" S28e) 70! Wey We Dhl esee 17 samples. | | - 1ON50 Sh - Se. SGGUSe Soot cceeee coh aus raleeriee LO Gus ces W59)15.9) yh 64a cece None.| 2.6 Average of Ore See ae ea ns LLNOF | ANZ e328) 2h5 416 loa 75) mosaGn meee peer 6 samples AD hee oe 2. EMtMeuCMIG. OSs shee sage ee 110030.) 10372229) Si) Ch e0 AGO 4a 4s B41B8o eee ee DD Ore eae oa ee 100.0 | 8.3; 3.1 oo He ASO) 7G. eee eee BA1SO™ see IDX ee re aon a 100°0:| °9:6>|| 3:2 TON eA Da ln fei Ql] ACOs os ces eee Average of 8 WD OMS se oes ch conene es 100.0 | 13.3]. 2.6} 2.2} -6.8 | 9.35] 65.8 | 1171) 19.4 samples. Moisture-free basis. : | Ether | Crude hee Reduc- Sauiple No. Material. Ash, | extract | protein | Crude ae } dingy ieee : (crude | (N X fiber. Be ede ‘sugars as : fat). 6,25). - *| invert. Honey locust: ! Per cent. Per cent.| Per cent.| Per cent. Per cent. Per cent.| Per'cent. ZEOG LOE a, Pods — peri- 4.0 | 0.6 7.4 20.0 | §&68.0 2.3 24.0 carp). : PIGS amo oo Seeds oe ee eee 3.4 | 257 27.7 10.7 5b Dil. cahese eee eeeeee 28662, 28663 . Entire fruit... .:.... 3.9 | 1.2 14.0 17.0 | G3: Oh (Seoae se elem aera Carob: | OS SU Soe Pods (entire peri- 2.6 a2 4.2 6.4 86:16) | sca eee 35 carp). 10050. :....0- LB Yc eer oh a Rel Sees ae 4 stat 6G: Gileae= ee | 1325 28.7 Average of Dio. sak eS fe Se ia 2.7 Beal 9.9 | 79.2 IEA 26. 2 17 samples. ANUS0 = SGCGSt eer SMe NeeS 1 Per 17.6 Se LN Ae eae, Si None Average of 6 Doe eee 3.6 2.8 18.7 8.5 6604S. es oer samples PAIS U aces Entire fruit 5........ 3.3 58 Bal 6.8 BONO S 2h ee oe eee eee StS 5 eee Docs. aes 3.4 53 4.7 8.6 S30 le 2225 2 eal oscars PASO i Wor si 3s aes 3.5 8 4.7 RT Aek Behe See eee Average of 8 Doses so esses 3.0 2.15;,| 7.9 10.7 | 75.9 12.8 22.4 samples. | ' | 1 Gathered from trees (Gleditsia triacanthos L.) growing in Washington, D. C. 2( ontained 19.9 per cent of pentosans. 3 Identified as pods of Ceratonia siliqua. 4 Average of results reported by Jaffa and Albro (16) on California carob. 5 Italian carob. 6 Portuguese carob. 7 Cyprus carob. 8 Contained 11.3 per cent of pentosans. A comparison of the composition of portions of the honey locust with that of corresponding parts of the mesquite bean shows that, while the locust pods have a slightly lower total sugar content, the entire fruit of the honey locust is materially lower in crude fiber and probably averages somewhat higher in crude protein. — « CAROB. Table 11 gives the results obtained by Jaffa and Albro (/6) on the composition of the pods, seeds, and whole fruit of the carob, as well as the results on imported Italian, Portuguese, and Cyprus carob beans analyzed in the Bureau of Chemistry. MESQUITE, CAROB, AND HONEY LOCUST BEANS. 7 Jaffa and Albro reported the presence of 1 per cent of starch in carob pods, but none in the seeds. Only traces of tannin were found in the pods. While the carob pods, on an average, are much higher in total sugar and a great deal lower in crude fiber than the honey locust, the whole beans are deficient in crude protein. In fact, the whole fruit of the carob contains only from one-third to one- half as much crude protein as either the honey locust or the mesquite. SUMMARY. Mesquite beans, which grow over large areas in the southwestern part of the United States, in the West Indies, in Hawaii, in South Africa, and in India, should have some economic value. Meal made from the entire bean may serve as an emergency or supplementary food for stock. Authorities in general agree that the fruit of the mesquite is a valuable feedingstuff when sound, but that it may be harmful to stock if it has been subjected to soaking. A more complete utilization may be made of the beans if they are separated into two distinct products—the sugar-bearing pericarp and the protein-bearing seeds. Such a separation can be effected only when the material is kept perfectly dry during the entire process. Sucrose was prepared from the pods of the mesquite which are rich in nonreducing sugar. The seed kernels were exceptionally rich in protein and the seed coats contained an unusually high proportion of pentosans, galactans, and other carbohydrates. The seeds of the honey locust contain less protein than the mesquite seeds, but the whole fruit contains more protein and less crude fiber than the whole mesquite beans. The carob, another closely related plant, growing in the citrus- fruit belts of the United States, is also used in the manufacture of stock foods. Carob pods contain more sugar and much less crude fiber than honey locust pods. The whole fruit, however, contains only from one-third to one-half as much crude protein as either the honey locust or the mesquite. LITERATURE CITED. (1) ABRAHAMS, C. R. Cashaw poisoning. Jn J. Jamaica Agr. Soc. (1897), 7: 319-321. (2) ANONYMOUS. The mesquit tree. In J. Bur. Agr., W. Australia (1897), 4: 1119. (3) AtwaTErR, W. O., and Bryant, A. P. . The chemical composition of American food materials. U.S. Dept. Agr., Off. Exp. Sta. Bul. 28, rev. (1906), p. 65. (4) Bent ey, H. L. A report upon the grasses and forage plants of central Texas. U.S. Dept. Agr., Div. Agrostology Bul. 10 (1898), p. 36. (5) Brown, W. R. The mesquite (Prosopis juliflora), a famine fodder for the Karroo. In J. Dept. Agr. (Union of South Africa) (1923), 6: 62-67. "(6) Connrt, I. J. The carob in California. Calif. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 309 (1919), pp. 431-440. - (7) Forses, R. H. The mesquite tree: Its products and uses. Ariz. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 13 (1895), 26 pp. (8) Foster, L. ee value of mesquite beans. Jn N. Mex. Farm Courier (1916), 4, no. > 45. : (9) Fraps, G. 8. Texas feeding stuffs, their composition and utilization. Tex. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 170 (1914), p. 31. (10) Garcra, F. Mesquite beans for pig feeding. In N. Mex. Agr. Exp. Sta. 28th Ann. Rpt. (1917), pp. 77-82.. (11) Goss, A. Principles of stock feeding and some New Mexico feeding stuffs. N. Mex. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 17 (1895), pp. 23-54. (12) Grirritus, Davin. Range improvement in Arizona. U.S. Dept. Agr., B. P. I. Bul. 4 (1901), p. 18-19. i (13) Harrineton, H. H. Texas Aer. Exp. Sta. Rept. Chem., 1888. In U.S. Dept. Agr., Off. Exp. Sta. Bul. 2, pt. 1 (1889), pp. 187-8. s (14) Henke, L. A. The algaroba bean as a feed for hogs. Jn 1st Ann. Rpt. Coll. Hawaii, Dept. . Agr., 1917-18; Bul. 5, pp. 17-20. (15) Housinaer, 8. J. The mesquite: A desert study. Jn Forestry and Irrigation (1902), 8: 447-453. (16) Jarra, M. E., and AuBro, F. W. Nutritive value of the carob bean. Cal. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 309 (1919), pp. 441-452. : (17) Rosertson, C. C. Prosopis juliflora, the mesquite or algaraba tree, and Prosopis pubescens, the screw bean. Jn Agr. J. Union S: Africa (1914), 8: 233-239. (18) Sarcent, C. 8S. ‘ : : Manual of the trees of North America, p. 549. The Riverside Press, Cam- bridge, Mass., 1905. (19) SHorey, E. C. ef The composition of some Hawaiian feeding stuffs. Hawaii Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 13 (1906), pp. 12-13. (20) Smirn, JARED G. ; Fodder and forage plants (exclusive of the grasses). U.S. Dept. Agr., Div. Agrostology Bul. 2, rev. (1900), pp. 31, 56. (21) Steet, THOMAS. J The mesquite tree. (Prosopis dulcis, Benth.) and its sweet pods. Jn Rpt. Australasian Assoc. Advance. Sci. (1898), 7: 946-947. 18 (26) | (27) Wooton, E. O. MESQUITE, CAROB, AND HONEY LOCUST BEANS. Li. (22) THompson, A. R. The composition of Hawaiian fruits and nuts. In Hawaii Agr. Exp. Sta. Rpt. 1914, pp. 62-73. (23) THorNBER, J. J. The grazing ranges of Arizona. Ariz. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 65 (1910), pp. 270-271, 297. (24) Witcox, E. V. The algaroba in Hawaii. Hawaii Agr. Exp. Sta., Press Bul. 26 (1909 (?)); 8. pps (25) Witson, C. P. Value of mesquite beans for pig feeding. Jn N. Mex. Farm Courier (1917), 6,n0.o: 7-8. The aoe bean asa warcrop. Jn N. Mex. Farm Courier (1917), 5, no. Some per Joa forage plants. N. Mex. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 18 (1896). pp. 89-90 ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. NOVEMBER 21, 1923. Secretaryof Agricwliury--— 322 S23. se ka Le Henry C. WALLACE. DASSISIATT SCCTLUR Ys & aden . ened ees Howarp M. Gore. Director of Scientific Work. .=....-.--6.-. 3222. 1D Bare Director ‘of Regulatory Work : ..2.2<2es st. 222? WALTER G. CAMPBELL. Director of Extension Service.............----- C. W.. WARBURTON. Weather Bure 0a 2.82 sae 5-5 322 eee oe CHARLES F. Marvin, Chief. Bureau of Agricultural Economics............ HENry C. Taytor, Chief. ‘“wiureau of. Animal Indusiry. > cesle. J ese Joun R. Monter, Chief. urea ot Plant Industry ...c.,J.29 kee et Wiiuiam A. Taytor, Chief. PP ONESPIS END scien cook Soe es ee W. B. GREELEY, Chief. Buren oF Chemisry so: io 2+ oe ees whee be C. A. Browne, Chief. UFC OT OM Ses... Fs yo as cae. De Se ee Mitton Wuirney, Chief. Buran ot Hatomology >... .:2 23 Nee L. O. Howarp, Chief. Burseu-of Biolopical Survey «2.2225 -cce82 26 23h E. W. Netson, Chief. Bureas,ot Pubiee Rhoads: /). 25a eR a eee THomas H. MacDonatp, Chief. Bipenu.of Home Economics. 220 2. 22-6222 Se Louise STanuey, Chief. Fixed Nitrogen Research Laboratory........-.- F. G. CorTrrety, Director. Dwision of Accounts and Disbursements...--... A. ZAPPone, Chief. PDTONY SO oo he o.< 2 2 le do ee ee CLARIBEL R. Barnett, Librarian. Wederal. Horticultural Boord ts. asi C. L. Maruatrr, Chairman. Insecticide and Fungicide Board...........-.. J. K. Haywoop, Chairman. Packers and Stockyards Admintstration......... CHESTER MorriLt, Assistant to the Grain Future Trading Act Administration. .... \ Secretary. - Ofive of the-Soliciior-<2se3<. 65 25. eos. en R. W. Writrrams, Solicitor. This bulletin is a contribution from— Enereanoel hemisiry. 5-3 le ks C. A. Browne, Chief. Miscellaneous Division .................. J. K. Haywoop, Chief. Cattle Food and Grain Investigation (Ev OT OLOti ae ae ns ee eek G. L. Brpweii, Chemist in Charge. 20 ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D. C. AT 5 CENTS PER COPY PURCHASER AGREES NOT TO RESELL OR DISTRIBUTE THIS COPY FOR PROFIT.—PUB. RES. 57, APPROVED MAY 11, 1922 V = .* ae p dehe oe eee a oh = ey en (anes a 7 ~~ es PY ' 7 if,