56 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. Chemistry of Vegetable Physiology and Agriculture. Chemistry of the Bacillus Coli Communis. MARY F. LEACH (J. BioZ. Chew,. 1907 3 443-458 Compare Abstr. 1906 ii 568). -By the action of sodium hydroxide and alcohol part of the protein of the bacterial cells goes into solution in alcohol and part remains undissolved. The solution contains the poison of the cell; the insoluble portion includes carbohydrate nucleic acid compounds and an immunising substance. Whether the immunising substance con- tains nucleic acid and depends for its action on this circumstance is uncertain. aW. D. H. Formation of Glycogen by Yeast. FREDERICK W. PAVY and HUBERT W. BYWATERS (J. Fhylsiol. 1907 36 149-163).-Com- tnercial (balloon) yeast contains 5% of glycogen or 25% in the dry material.Incubation with water decreases the amount slightly but with dextrose the amount is increased twice or thrice in as many hours. Beyond a certain point however increase in the concentra- tion of the dextrose inhibits glycogen formation. Tartaric acid nhibits the process and favours the disappearance of the glycogen. fiodium phosphate has no influence but boiled yeast juice promotes glycogen production. The phenomena are due to increased cell growth and not to simple accumulation of glycogen in pre-existing cells. W. D. H. Assimilation of Carbon in Bacteria which Oxidise Hydrogen. A. F. LEBEDEFF (Biochem. Zeitsch. 1907,7 1-lo).-Certain bacteria which can assimilate carbon from carbon dioxide liberate free oxygen and this enables the oxidation of hydrogen to be carried out.The figures given are rather different from those which theory demands an excess of hydrogen being always observed. The con- clusion however is drawn that in all probability the chemistry of carbon assimilation in bacteria is not very different from what occurs in green plants. Fixation of Nitrogen in Soil by Free Bacteria and its Importance for the Nutrition of Plants. ALFRED KOCII J. LITZENDORFF F. KRULL and A. ALVES (J. Lnndw. 1907 55 355-416).-Assimilation of nitrogen in soils is increased by addition W. D. H.VEGEL'ABLE PHYSIOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE. 57 of dextrose sucrose soluble starch and probably cereal straw the amount thus fixed being 8-10 mg. per gram of sugar. Frequent applications of sugar tend to diminish rather than increase the amount of nitrogen fixed.The best results in relation to the amount of sugar were obtained with one application of 2%. Fixation of nitrogen was increased by superphosphnte basic slag and irou sulphate and retarded by lime potassium sulphate and chloride carbon disulphide and perhaps by magnesium sulphate. N. H. J. 1sI. Biological Succession of Mineral Substances in Marine Algae. FRANCESCO SCURTI and s. c:ar,DIERI (Chem Zentr. 1907 ii 1089 ; from 8tccx. sperim. agrar. itaE. 1907 40 225-233).-In continuation of the work of Scurti (Abstr. 1907 ii 122) it has been found that the elements contained in the marine algze can be arranged in two groups. Those of the first group including chlorine calcium magnesium potassium sodium and silicon gradually increase in quantity during the formation of the spores whilst after t h e b appearance these elements gradually decrease.The second group embraces iodine and phosphorus. The behaviour of iodine has already been recorded (Zoc. cit.). Phosphorus is absorbed during the production of the spores but unlike the elements of the first group it still further increases in amount after maturation is a t an end and thus reaches its maximum in winter. E. G. Application of Bio-chemical Methods for the Detection of Sugars and Glucosides in Plants of the Tribe Taxeze. CHARLES LEFEBVRE (Arch. Phawn. 1907 245 493-502. Compare Abstr. 1907 i 864).-Indication of the presence of various sugars and gluco- sides in extracts of plants &c. may be obtained by treating these extracts with enzymes such as invertase and emulsin.The change in the optical rotatory power of an extract of young twigs of Yccxus baccata on treatment with invertase appeared to point to the presence of sucrose but practically the same change is observed on treating rathose with invertase. However by treatment with barium or strontiurn hydroxide and fractional precipitation with alcohol were obtained besides raffinose (compare Abstr. 1907 ii 715) crystals of sucrose and indications of the presence of a lavorotatory sugar which does not reduce Fehling's solution. Investigation of twigs of Taxus baccata gathered a t various times of the year showed that the quantity of sugars present does not vary considerably whilst the quantity of taxicatin present is greatest in the autumn and winter and smallest from April to July.The leaves and twigs of Cephalotaxus drupacea Cephalotaxus pedunculata Podocccrpus Chinensis and Yorreya rnpristica all contain sugars glucosidic substances hydrolysed by emulsin and ferments similar in action to invertase and emulsin. W. H. G. Causes of the Displaceinent of Absorption Bands in the Leaf. D. IWANOWSKI (Ber. deut. hot. Ges. 1907 25 416-424).- In the investigation of the well-known difference between the spectrum58 AUSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. of a living leaf and that of an alcoholic chlorophyll solution the spectro-photometric method is preferable to the spectroscopic. By means of the former method the leaf-spectrum is found to differ from that of the solution in having a much greater absorption at the red end (a-B) and in having both the principal absorption bands some- what displaced towards the red.This difference has generally been attributed to the chlorophyll of the chloroplasts being in the solid state. Solid solutions of chlorophyll in gelatin and in paraffin-wax were however found to have a spectrum differing but slightly from that of an alcoholic solution. By adding'a little neutral salt(for example MgSO,) to a concentrated alcoholic chlorophyll solution greatly diluted with water the author obtained a fine suspension which bad a spectrum very similar to that of the living leaf. This similarity is attributed to the circumstance that in both cases the spectrum is largely due to the reflected light whereas in the case of an alcoholic chlorophyll solution it is wholly formed by transmitted light.G. B. Fruit of Celestrus scandens and Solanum Dulcamara. A. A. WELLS and GRANT S. REEDER (C'Aem. News 1907,96,199-200). -Berries of Gelestrus scandems were found to contain lzlevulose tartaric acid and gallic acid. The seeds contain pslmitic acid and an oil which yields olein and a small amount of palmitin when hydrolysed. Berries of SoZccmm Dulcumara contain tartaric and citric acids and fructose. N. H. J.M. Supposed Toxicity of Hungarian Haricots. LBON GUIGNARD (Compt. rend. 1907 145 11 12-1 11 8).-A reply to Evesque Verdier and Bretin (Abstr. 1907 ii 912). The author has examined a sample of the Hungarian haricots stated by Evesque Verdier and Bretin to contain 0.342 gram of bydrogen cyanide per kilo.and finds that in common with all the specimens of Hungarian haricots that he has examined (Abstr 1906 ii 301) they do not contain a trace of hydrogen cjanide. He also shows that the method of macerating the beans with water containing tartaric acid preliminary to estimating the hydrogen cyanide is untrustworthy as the tartaric acid exercises a paralysing effect on the ferment (emulsin) that causes the hydrolysis of the cyanogenetic glucoside. Chemistry of Mistletoe (Viscum album). M. LEPRINCE (Compt. rend. 1907 145 940-941).-The author has obtained 1.6 grams of a crystalline hydrochloride of a base from 25 kilos. of dry mistletoe plant ; the crystalline platinicldoride (C8H11N),,H,PtCI decomposes a t 250'. M. A. W. M. A. W. Inosites of Mistletoe. GEORGES TANRET (Compt.rend. 1907 145 1196-1 198).-The fresh ripe berries of- mistletoe contain in addition to dextrose lzevulose and -sucrose i-inosite and r-inosite ; 12 grams of the former and 4 grams of the latter being obtained from 1 kilo. of the fresh fruit or four times these quantities from 1 kilo. of dry fruit. Up to the present the leaves of the walnut tree haveVEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE. 59 formed the chief source of i-inosite (Tanret and Villiers Abstr. 1877 ii 304 ; lS7S 390; Maquenne and Tanret Abstr. 1890 471) but the yield is only one-sixteenth of that afforded by mistletoe. The isolation of r-inosite from mistletoe is important as affording the first instance of the separation of a racemic sugar from a living organism. The leaves of the mistletoe plant also contain the inosites probably in the form of some compound because the author could only isolate 0.50 gram from 1 kilo.of dry leaves. Lippia scaberrima (Beukess Boss). FREDERICK B. POWER and FEANK TUTIN (Arch. Pharm. 1907 245 337-350; Amev. J. Phcwm. 1907 79 449-462).-Dried stems and leaves of this South African plant were examined. I n addition to resins and other amorphous products the following substances were isolated. (1) An aromatic essential oil (0*25%) b. p. 220-230° Dig 0.950 uD + 7'36' (100 mm. tube). (3) Hentri- acontane C31H6Q m. p. 68'. (4) A paraffin m. p SO" in very small amount. (5) A phytosterol C,7H,,0 m. p. 134'. (6) Unsaturated alcohols probably of the general formula C12H2G-40 and containing one double linking. (7) Formic and butyric acids in the uncom- bined state.(8) Esters of various acids including formic butyric valeric arachic and linoleic. (9) Lippianol C,,H,,O a colourless crystalline substance having the properties of a monohydric alcohol ; m. p. 300-308" (decomp.) [.ID + 65' in 0.5% alcoholic solution. (10) Minute quantities of two yellow crystalline substances m. p. 267' (approx.) and a trace of a colourless crystalline substance m. p. 123". (11) Dextrose (mainly in the inactive form). A glucoside-like substance was also present but mas not isolated; it yielded on hydrolysis dextrose and other products which were not identified. 0. F. B. M. A. W. (2) .Heptacosane C2'7H5G m. p. 59". The Fruit of Styrax Obassia. Y. ASAHINA (Arch. Phawn. 1907 245 325-328).-By extracting the husks with 60% alcohol stymcitol was obtained in yield equal to 10% of the drug.This crystalline substance C,H,,O,,. m. p. 1 5 5 O [u]% - 71*72" is very readily soluble in water sparingly so in strong alcohol; reduces ammoniacal silver nitrate but not Fehling's solution even after boiling with dilute mineral acids although it does so after oxidation with sodium hypobromite or nitric acid; does not form a compound with phenylhydrazine acetate or with benzaldehyde when shaken with the latter and 50% sulphuric acid; yields no crystalline acetyl or benzoyl derivative; forms P-hexyl iodide when distilled with hydriodic acid and yellow phosphorus. The kernels yielded 18% of fatty oil when extracted with ether. The oil expressed from the seeds had DI5 0*974O acid number 9 saponification number 180 iodine number (Hiibl) 127 Hehner's number 91.c. E. B. Physico-chemical Processes in the Production of Soil PAUL ROHLAND (Chem. Zentr. 1907 ii 724 ; from Landw. Jahb. 36 473-483).-The colloids present in soils are derived from feldspar by60 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. the action of water and carbon dioxide. Their coagulation by electro- lytes probably depends on the simultaneous separation of hydroxyl ions from the alkali. Soils containing colloidal hydroxides a t a constant temperature take up or lose water until the vapour tension of the colloid equals the surrounding vapour tension. Alterations in tem- perature continuously alter the amount of water. Adsorption is attributed partly to chemical actions partly to adsorp- tion and is perhaps also due to catalytic influences.N. H. J. M. Protective Action of Colloids on Clay Suspensions. GUSTAV KEPPELER and ALBERT SPANGENBERC (J. Lmdw. 1907,55,299-300). -Kckenberg (ibid. 1906 343) showed that much greater amounts of alkali are required to flocculate suspensions of natural clay soil than in the case of kaolin and attributes his results t o a protective action exercised by the humus. Determinations of the amounts of alkali required for flocculation showed that varying results are obtained with different soils and it is found that the amounts depend on the quantity of humic acid in the soil. N. H. J. IK. Movement of Ammoniacal Nitrogen in Nature. PAUL EREENBERG (Chem. Zentr. 1907 ii 723-724 ; from Mitt. Landw. Imt. K. Umiv. Breslau 1907 4 1-254).-Loss of ammonia by evaporation from soils is only to be expected in the case of sandy soils containing much calcium carbonate and deficient in zeolitic compounds and humus and then only at the highest summer temperatures when the soil is dried up and when there has been a heavy application of nitrogenous manure.Ammonium salts are undoubtedly directly utilised by plants. With the exception however of plants utilizing acids the amount of nitrogen so taken up is insuficient and for satisfactory growth nitri- fication is essential. Even then the loss is extremely small. N. H J. M. Influence of Plant Constituents on the Physical and Chemical Properties of Soils. VIKTOR ZAILER and LEoPoLn WILK (Chem. Zen&. 1907 ii 732-734 ; from Zeitsch. Moorkultur u. Torfverwert.1907 l-l09).-The physical properties of peat especially when only slightly decomposed which vary distinctly when the peat is derived from only very distantly related plants are coherence density capacity for holding water hygroscopicity and absorptive power ; other physical properties seem to depend less on botanical composition. Hygroscopicity decreases as decomposition proceeds notwithstanding the increase of humus substances. Absorp- tion of ammonia depends chiefly on free humic acid and related colloids. The amount of ash in peat is generally higher than would be indicated by the botanical composition. Potassium and sodium salts are almost completely washed out and phosphoric acid to a considerable extent whilst calcium and iron remain almost unchanged in quantity.The amount of nitrogen depends mainly on the amount originally present in the plants and to a less extent on chemical processes and chitinous remains. N. H. J. M.ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY 61 Fallow. WILHELM KEUGER and BERTHOLD HEINZE (Chent. Zentr. 1907 ii 726 ; from Las~ctw. Jahrb. 36 3S3-423).-During a fallow the amount of soluble forms of nitrogen especially nitrates increases. The number of micro-organisms increases a t first and then gradually diminishes. The total nitrogen seemed to increase but this requires confirmation. N. H. J. M. Manurial Experiments with Different Kinds of Nitrates. JOHN SEBELIEN (Landw. Yersuchs-Xtat. 1907 55 293-297).-Pot experiments with white mustard grown in poor sandy soil showed that the yield when manured with calcium nitrate and with “ sulphate- nitrate ” respectively was about five times as great as with sodium nitrate and that far greater amounts of these manures may be applied without injury as compared with the ordinary inorganic nitrogenous manures.‘‘ Sulphate-nitrate ” [CaSO + 2(NH4),N0,] is prepared by mixing calcium nitrate with ammonium sulphate (equal mols.) the idea being to avoid the difficulty in the use of calcium nitrate due to its deliquescence. Further experiments with oats grown in sandy soil and in loam showed that sodium and calcium nitrates had about equal effects. N. H. J. IT. Is a Favourable Stimulating Effect on the Development of Crops by Small Amounts of Manganese Salts Observable in the Field? HJALMAR TON FEILITZEN (J. Landw. 1907 55 289-292).-The soil on which the experiment was made consisted chiefly of slightly decomposed sphagnum peat and has been under cultivation since 1894 when sand and lime were applied as well as artificial manures which have been applied each year since. An application of 10 kilos. of magnesium sulphate per hectare was found to have no effect on oats. N. H. J. 3%. Leucite and its Application as a Manure. UGO ALVISI and DOMENICO VENDITORI (Gaxzetta 1907 37 ii 379-383).-No action takes place between leucitic materials and superphosphates when these are applied together as manures so that the value of the super- phosphate remains uninjured. T. H. P.