abstracts: agricultural chemistry 1M 



direct titration of the boiling acid. In the procedure which is recom- 

 mended, 50 cc. of normal sodium hydroxide arc added to aboul 2 grams 

 of the acid and the excess of alkali is titrated with normal sulphuric 

 acid after the mixture has remained for thirty minutes at ordinary 

 temperature, using phenolphthalein as indicator. E. E. 



CHEMISTRY. — Use of sulphur dioxide in checking strengths of volumetric 

 solutions of iodine, alkali, and silver. Elias Elvove, Hygienic 

 Laboratory, Public Health and Marine Hospital Service. American 

 Journal of Pharmacology, 83: 19-23. 1911. 



A scheme is outlined for basing the determination of the strengths of 

 volumetric solutions on pure silver as a standard. The solutions would 

 be prepared in the following order, each serving as a standard for the 

 succeeding one: ammonium thiocyanate (standardised against pure 

 silver), silver nitrate, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, oxalic acid, 

 potassium permanganate, sodium thiosulphate, iodine. To control 

 the standardisation, 25 cc. of the standard iodine solution is just de- 

 colorised by freshly prepared sulphur dioxide solution and the acid formed 

 titrated with the standard sodium hydroxide solution. The total iodide 

 in this neutralised solution could then be determined by adding excess 

 of silver nitrate and titrating the excess of silver with standard ammon- 

 ium thiocyanate, allowance being made for the pure potassium iodide 

 used in preparing the iodine solution. E. E. 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY.— The toxic action of organic coin- 

 pounds as modified bij fertilizer salts. Oswald Schkeiner and J. J. 

 Skinner. Science, 33: 340. 1911. 



The action of fertilizer salts in restraining the harmful influence of 

 certain organic compounds was studied, as w r ell as the effect of the com- 

 pounds on absorption. The culture solutions comprised all possible 

 ratios of the three principal fertilizer elements; phosphate, nitrate and 

 potassium, varying in 10 per cent stages. 



The various fertilizer salts acted differently in overcoming the respec- 

 tive harmful effects of the toxic compounds. The mainly phosphatic 

 fertilizers were the most efficient in overcoming the cumarin eff< 

 the mainly nitrogenous fertilizers in overcoming the vanillin effect-; 

 the mainly potassic in overcoming the quinone effects. 



The cumarin depressed potash and nitrate removal from nutrienl 

 solution more than phosphate; the quinone, on the other hand, depre 

 phosphate and nitrate more than potash; the effect of vanillin was not 

 determined in this regard. Dihydroxystearic acid, which, us previously 



