abstracts: chemistry 321 



comprised all possible ratios of the three principal fertilizer elements, 

 phosphate, nitrate, and potassium in 10 per cent stages. The various 

 fertilizer salts acted differently in overcoming the respective harmful 

 effects of the toxic compounds. The mainly phosphatic fertilizers were 

 the most efficient in overcoming the cumarin effects; the mainly nitrog- 

 enous in overcoming the vanillin effects; the mainly potassic in overcom- 

 ing the quinone effects. 



Cumarin affected plants have characteristic stunted tops, broad dis- 

 torted leaves; vanillin affected plants are less characteristic, but show 

 decreased growth of tops and strongly inhibited root growth. Quinone 

 affected plants are tall and slender with thin narrow leaves in strong 

 contrast to the cumarin affected plants. The cumarin depressed potash 

 and nitrate removal from tha nutrient solution more than it did phos- 

 phate removal; the quinone on the other hand depressed phosphate and 

 nitrate more than it did potash. The effect of vanillin was not deter- 

 mined in this regard. Dihydroxystearic acid which appears to act 

 much as vanillin did, depressed phosphate and potash more than nitrate. 

 The conclusion is drawn that different toxic substances produce definite 

 effects in their action on plants and that the effects are modified differ- 

 ently by the different fertilizer salts. J. J. S. 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY.— Origin of creatinine in soils. M. 

 X. Sullivan. Science 35: 390. 1912. 

 Of samples of the same soil planted and unplanted kept side by side 

 in the greenhouse, the water and glycerine extracts of the planted soils 

 gave larger amounts of creatinine by the creatinine zinc chloride method. 

 It would seem that the increase in the amount of creatinine was con- 

 nected in some way with plant growth. Creatinine was found in small 

 amounts, in the water in which wheat seeding had grown, in wheat 

 seeds, wheat seedlings, wheat bran, rye, clover, alfalfa, cowpeas and 

 potatoes. Besides the possible production of creatinine by micro- 

 organisms and the introduction into the soil in the animal excreta of 

 stable manure, the creatinine of soils has its origin in vegetable matter. 



M. X. S. 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY.— The action of nucleic acid and its 

 decomposition products on soils and plants. O. Schreiner and 

 J. J. Skinner. Science 35 : 390. 1912. 

 Nucleic acid as well as some of its decomposition products occur in 



soils and the effect of some of these compounds has been studied with 



