i. 74 ABSTRACTS OF CHfEMZCU PAPERS. Chemistry of Vegetable Physiology and Agriculture. The Relation of the Reaction and of Salt Content of the Medium to Nitrifying Bacteria. CAROLYN S. MEEK and CHARLES B. LIPMAN ( J . Qen. Physiol. 1922,5,195-204).-Nitrifying bacteria are particularly resistant to hydroxyl-ions surviving in a medium of PET 13 and yielding their characteristic products in a medium of PH 11. Sodium sulphatc is not nearly so toxic to these products as sodium chloride or sodium carbonate. Nitrification. IV. The Carbon and Nitrogen kelations of the Nitrite Ferment. AUGUSTO BONAZZI ( J . Bact. 1921,6,479- 499.-A study of the functions of autotrophic carbon assimilation and nitrogen nutrition of the nitroso-ferment. These functions are W. 0. K.VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOOY AND AGRICULTURE.i. 75 intimately connected and mutually interdependent the bacterial cell being able to assimilate the abundant stores of nitrogen in a nutritive solution in the absence of free carbon dioxide even although a carbonate as such be present in the medium. Conse- quently the process of nitrogen oxidation which follows the absorp- tion and leads to the formation of nitrous acid and its salts is dependent on the presence of this free carbon dioxide. CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS. Ergosterol in Yeast. A. WINDAUS and W. GRossKoPF (2. physiol. Chem. 1922 124 8-14).-Ergosterol is extracted from yeast in a yield of about 0.15y0 and purified as ergosteryl acetate m. p. 180-181". On reduction with palladium black and hydrogen this acetate unites with six hydrogen atoms to form ergostunyl acetate C29H5002 small white needles m.p. 103" which on hydrolysis yields ergostanol C,,H4,0 fine leaflets m. p. 129". By treatment of ergostanol with phosphorus pentachloride and subsequent reduction with sodium in amyl alcohol the hydrocarbon ergostane c,-$3489* white leaflets m. p. 72-73" [a] +24-5" is obtained w ich IS not identical with sitosane $-cholestane (coprostane) or cholestane. Ergostmol on oxidation with chromic anhydride yields ergostanone fine white needles m. p. 5&57". Comparison of a- and p-Glucose in Fermentation. RICHARD WILLSTATTER and HARRY SOBOTKA (2. physiol. Chem. 1922,123 1&169).-No difference can be detected in the rate of fermentation of a- and @-glucose. This cannot be due to an equilibrium between the two forms being set up quickly as the rate of this change under the conditions of the experiment is much slower than the rate of fermentation.The Selective Fermentation of Mixtures of &gars. RICHARD WILLSTATTER and HARRY SOBOTKA (2. physiol. Chem. 1922 123 170-175).-Although glucose fructose and a mixture of these are all fermented by yeast with approximately the same velocity yet on fermenting a mixture the glucose ferments more quickly than the fructose. This is apparently because the glucose is more active in the initial stages of fermentation whilst the final stages of the reaction are the same for both sugars. These final stages however are the slowest and so they decide the rate of the reaction as a whole. The same holds for the fermentation of a W.0. K. W. 0. K. mixture of the a- and p-forms of glucose (see preceding abstract). w. 0. K. Selective Fermentation with Yeast Trained to Ferment Galactose. RICHARD WILLSTATTER and HARRY SOBOTKA (2. physiol. Chem. 1922 123 176-180).-Yeast may be trained so that it will ferment galactose more rapidly than glucose but it is found that such a yeast will still preferentially ferment glucose out of a mixture of glucose and galactose. An explanation of this phenomenon is indicated on the lines suggested in the precedmg abstract. W. 0. K.i. 76 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. The Influence of Copper Salts 011 the Yield of Sterigmato- cystis nZgra [Aspergillus rriger]. MARIK MOLLIARD (Compt. rend. 1922 175 838-841) .-The retarding action of solutions containing copper on the growth of A .niger renders direct comparison with the control solution of no value as the two may be a t different stages of development. The author has compared the yield-Le. the ratio of the weight of mycelium obtained to that of sugar con- sumed-in a control solution and one containing copper sulphate of a concentration of 1/3750 making allowance for the slower growth in the latter. The general result of the presence of copper is diminution of yield but during a considerable portion of the time the reverse effect mas observed. H. J. E. Some Aspects of Selective Absorption. W. J. V. OSTER- HOUT ( J . Gen. Physiol. 1922 5 225-230).-Analysis of the cell sap of the marine alga Vulonia shows much more potassium and less sodium magnesium calcium and sulphate-ion than exists in the surrounding sea-water whilst the chloride is approximately con- stant.The organic material in the cell sap is small and this seems to exclude the possibility of accounting for the high concentration of potassium by the assumption that it combines with some organic compound. w. 0. I<. Fixation and Polyrnerisation of Formaldehyde in the Dark by Green Plants. Carbon Dioxide Assimilation by Plants. TH. SABALITSCHKA (2. ungew. Chem. 1922 35,684-685).-Experi- ments with the nasturtium and the water-weed Elodea canadensis showed that these plants are capable of fixing formaldehyde and polymerising it to carbohydrates even in the absence of light. The plants were placed in an enclosed space and deprived of carbon dioxide. The sugar and starch content of the leaves was deter- mined after some decrease had occurred below the normal by reason of the exclusion of carbon dioxide and some of the plants were then exposed to formaldehyde either in the form of vapour or in solution in the case of the water weed whilst others were kept for comparison.After some days the carbohydrates in the leaf were again estimated; as an example of the results in one case 462 mg. of sugar and 1048 mg. of starch per 100 g. of leaf were found after treatment with formaldehyde compared with 144 mg. of sugar and 495 mg. of starch in the blank experiment. The quantity of these substances in the formaldehyde experiment was actually higher than a t the commencement whereas in the control experi- ment the carbohydrates had continued to decrease.This shows that the plants were able to replenish their stock of carbohydrate depleted by the absence of carbon dioxide by making use of the formaldehyde and that the polymerisation takes place in the absence of sunlight. Further it provides additional evidence for the hypothesis that formaldehyde is an intermediate product of the photosynthesis of carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water. G. F. M.VEGETABLE PIIYSIOLOQY AND AGRICULTURE. i. 77 Anthocyanin Pigments and Phlobatannins in Plants. ST. JONESCO (Compt. rend. 1922 175 904-907; cf. Combes A. 1922 i 206).-The red leaves of Pruitus Pissardii dried and powdered were extracted with ethyl ether. The solution on evaporation yielded two separate substances one soluble in water and crystallising in tablets and needles the other soluble in ethyl alcohol but not in water and obtained as a yellow amorphous substance on evaporation. Various reactions given by the former indicate that it is a tannin ; the latter being precipitated by addition of water gives somewhat ambiguous results with aqueous reagents.It is however not converted into a red pigment when heated with dilute acids. Further extraction of the dried leaves with ethyl acetate and amyl alcohol yielded t'he anthocyanidins and pseudo-bases. The latter are readily transformed into anthocy- anidins under the influence of dilute hydrochloric acid their colour changing from yellow to red. The anthocyan constituents -i.e. the total of the pigments present in the various organs- are divided into anthocyanins red violet or blue substances not extracted by amyl alcohol anthocyanidins red substances existing uncombined and readily soluble in amyl alcohol and a third group of substances the pseudo-bases yellow in colour which the author proposes to designate leuco-anthocyanidins.H. J. E. The Action of Hexamethylenetetramie on Higher Vege- tation. E. NICOLAS and G. NICOLAS (Compt. rend. 1922 175 836-838).-Solutions of hexamethylenetetramine the concen- tration of which lies between 0-1 and 0.3 g. per litre are utilised as food by beans but on increasing the concentration a toxic effect is produced. In the former case the action is shown by increase in weight of the plant and by the enhanced leaf develop- ment. H. J. E. The Chemical Constituents of Green Plants.XXII. The Presence of Succinic Acid and of Oxalic Acid in the Currant (Ribes rtsbmm). HARTWIG FRANZEN and FRITZ HELWERT (2. physiol. Chem. 1922 124 65-74; cf. A. 1922 i 310).-By converting the acids in the filtrate from the lead acetate precipitate from the currant into their esters and subsequently into the hydr- azide or the benzylidene compounds the presence of succinic acid malic acid and citric acid has been demonstrated. Other acids some unsaturated are present in traces including probably oxalic acid and possibly lactic acid. W. 0. K. Colouring Matter of the Fruit of Gurdeniu fiorida L. TETSUJIMUNESADA ( J . Phurm. Soc. Japan 1922 No. 486,666-671). -The colouring matter of the fruit of Gardenia florida L. from China when extracted with water (cf. Kasyer A.1885 59) and decomposed with dilute hydrochloric acid in a current of carbon dioxide yielded an amorphous powder which is identical with crocetin from saffron (cf. Decker A. 1914 i 979). It gave a potassium salt C,,-,H,,O,K orange-yellow crystals sodium salt,i 78 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. short yellowish-red needles and ammonium salt reddish-yellow needles. K. K. Preservative Principles of Hops. I. FRANK LEE PYM~N HAROLD ROGERSON and THOMAS KENNEDY WALKER (J. Inst. Brewing 1922 28 929-934).-Attempts were made to isolate crystalline hop- bitter acids by fractional extraction with alkalis of increasing strength of an ethereal solution of the soft resins obtained by extraction of ground hops with light petroleum. Lupulon was isolated in small yield in colourless prisms m.p. 94.5-95.5". No humulon was obtained by this method and the only other crystalline compounds isolated were lactaric acid C15Hso02 a saturated fatty acid previously found only in the fungus Agaricus integer and small quantities of thc constituents of the wax hentriacontane ceryl alcohol and cerotic acid. G. F. M. Nitrogenous Constituents of the Fruit of Chayote (Sechiuni edule). KIYOHISA YOSHIMURA ( J . Biochem. [Japan] 1922,1,347- 351).-The fruit of Sechium edule (a member of the Cucurbitacece) was examined with the following results Water 95.973% and dry substance 4.027y0. The dry substance contained crudc protein 16.264% fat 1.16!3% crude fibrc 7.311y0 nitrogen-free extract 68.392y0 ash 6.864% total nitrogen 2.602% protein nitrogen 1.66% and non-protein nitrogen 1.041y0; that is of the total nitrogen 59.99y0 was protein and 40.009y0 non-protein.20 Kg. of the fresh fruit were pressed and then extracted twice with hot water ; from the extract were isolated a small quantity of adenine and choline 0.7 g. of arginine (as nitrate) and about 1.5 g. of guanidine (as chloroaurate). The Mannan of Vegetable Ivory. 11. Hemicelluloses. HANS PRIKQSHEIM and KARL SEIFERT (2. physiol. Chem. 1922 123 205-212; cf. A. 1912 i 833).-Mannan prepared from vegetable ivory shavings by the action of 5% sodium hydroxide solution is treated wth acetic anhydride containing hydrogen bromide when it yields munnan triacetate C,H,O,( OAc) a white amorphous non-hygroscopic substance [a]? -27.4" in acetylene tetraahloride. Mannan on treatment with acetic anhydride con- taining a small amount of concentrated sulphuric acid yields a white amorphous Substance from which on hydrolysis and treat- ment with phenylhydrazine mannosephenylhydrazone can be obtained besides a quantity of glucosazone and also apparently the osazone of a disaccharide.Relation of certain Nutritive Elements to the Composition of the Oat Plant. J G . DICKSON (Amer. J. Botany 1921 8 256-274).-A study of the growth and compoeition of Avena sativa ariSta& in relation to climate and nutrition. The oontent of calcium oxide is reduced proportionally to its reduotion in the culture salution; it is also greatly reduced by deficiency of phos- pharus or nitrogen. The extent to which the content of phos- K. K. W. 0. K.VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY AND AGBIOULTURE.i. 79 phorus of the grain and straw is reduced by reduction in the pro- portion of phosphate or potassium in the culture solution and increased by similar reduction of calcium or nitrogen has been determined. The content of phosphorus of both grain and straw is modified by seasonal differences except for plants grown in solutions deficient in phosphorus. The content of calcium of the grain is modified even when solutions deficient in calcium are employed whilst that of the straw shows no consistent respoiise to climate. CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS. The Comparative Assirnilability of Tricalcium Phosphate and the Phosphates of Aluminium and Iron. CH. BRIOUX (Cmpt. rend. 1922 175 1096--1099).-1n soils containing little or no calcium carbonate a considerable proportion of the phosphoric acid exists as ferric or aluminium phosphate.Experiments with six different species of plants showed that measured by the pro- duction of dried organic matter the use of equivalent quantities of tricalcium ferric and aluminium phosphates results in the highest yields being obtained in the case of aluminium and the lowest with iron although the last-named gives results considerably above the control yield. The author points out that the usual solvents for “ available phosphate ” give results which are incon- sistent with those of his experiments although 1% citric acid is more trustworthy than others which have been recommended. H J. E T h e Availability of Mineral Plant Food (A Morncation of the Present Hypothesis).NOIGMAN M. COMBER ( J . Agfic. Xci. 1922 12 363-369).-The conception that plants can take up from the soil only mineral matter whch is in solution is criticbed. Three main objections are advanced namely the difficulty of cor- relating the composition of the soil solution with the amount of misera1 matter taken up by the plant; the absence of any explan- ation of the intake of iron by plants and the difKculty of explaining the availability of phosphates. A modified hypothesis is presented in which the absorption of colloids by plant roots is assumed. The possibility of a definite union of root hairs with solid miners€ particles i s discussed and the subsequent dissolution of the mineral particle by the organic matter of the root hair is suggested. A. G. P. Theory of Soil Acidity.J. N. MUHHERJEE (Nadure 1922 110 732).-Experimental evidence is adduced in support of the author’s view (A. 1922 ii 689) concerning the origin of soil acidity. Silioa has been found to adsorb appreciable quantities of acetic citric hydrochloric and nitric acids so strongly that on repeated washing the adsorbed substance cannot be removed and the aqueous extract soon becomes neutral. Treatment with aqueous potassium chloride then results homvef in %hedevelopment of acidity. Simultaneous experiments on electro-osmosis indicate that the anions of the acids and not their entire molecules are adsorbed on the surface by chemical forces and it is suggested that an equivalenti. 80 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. number of kations form a mobile second sheet of the double lager - - the forces acting on these being mainly electrical in nature.A. A. E. Sulphur Changes in Soil. KURT LANTZSCH (Intern. Mitt. Bodenk. 1922 12 22-35).-Nutrient solutions containing calcium sulphate and inoculated with soil extract showed no formation of sulphide after forty-seven days. The ratio CaO SO was how- ever changed slightly in some cases Nutrient solutions to which 20 g. of soil were added to 200 C.C. and allowed to remain under anaerobic conditions for sixty days showed no appreciable formation of sulphides when titrated with iodine solution. A solution con- taining 0.09% of potassium sulphide together with asparagine and other nutrients developed an odour of butyric acid and lost small amount of sulphur. A somewhat similar solution containing no organic carbon showed a production of nitrogen dioxide and ammonia when ammonium chloride was the only source of nitrogen ; when sodium nitrate was used instead nitrogen dioxide and ammonia were not produced.In each case however some of the sulphur was oxidised to sulphate in the inoculated solutions whilst the control gave negative results. The control tubes were treated with 0.2 C.C. of 40% formaldehyde solution per 100 C.C. of solution. CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS. The Depletion of Soils by Chemical Denudation. MILTON WHITNEY (Scie-me 1922 56 21&218).-The information hitherto collected concerning the rate of chemical denudation of soil and rock material has been based mainly on the translocation of material in true solution disregarding all matter in colloidal solution. The results have shown that the loss of silica alumina and iron is surprisingly small in comparison with that of potassium. It is indicated however that in the breaking down of silicates to a point at which potassium goes into solution silica alumina and iron also go into colloidal solution in the same proportion as they bear to the potassium content in the original material. This view is supported by the fact that when finely ground silicates are brought into contact with water soluble salts go into solution (as determined by conductivity or chemical test) and at the same time there is released a relatively large amount of colloidal material. Further investigation on t,hese lines is necessary before it will be possible to state whether chemical erosion is a selective process which might change the chemical composition of the soil or whether by the materials leaving the soil in about their original ratiw there is no material change in the composition of the soil on which water has acted. A. A. E.