RECENT WORK IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



AGEICULTURAL CHEMISTRY— AGROTECHWY. 



Biocliemical hand lexicon, edited by E. Abdebhalden {Biochemisches Hand- 

 lexikon. Berlin, 1911, vols. 1, pt. 1, pp. XVIII +704; Pt- 2, pp. 705-l-',99; 2, pp. 

 Y+129; 3, pp. SJ/l; Jj, pp. VI+1190; 6, pp. VI+390; 7, pt. 1, pp. 538).— This ex- 

 tensive work deals with the cbemical, physical, and physiological proiierties of 

 practically all known organic bodies which occur in nature or which have a 

 relation in one way or another to biological processes. 



Volume 1, part 1, deals with carbon, hydrocarbons, alcohols of the aliphatic 

 series, and phenols, and part 2 with the alcohols of the aromatic series, 

 aldehydes, ketones, acids, and heterocyclic compounds. The second volume 

 treats of gums, hemicelluloses, plant slimes, pectins, humin bodies, starches, 

 dextrins, inulins, celluloses, gls'cogen, the simple sugars, nitrogen-containing 

 carbohydrates, glucoses, and glucosids. Volume 3 deals with the waxes, fats, 

 phosphatids, protagon, cerebrosids and related bodies, stearins, and biliary 

 acids. The topics treated in volume 4 are polypeptids, amino acids, nitrogen- 

 containing derivatives of proteins and associated compounds, nucleo-proteids, 

 nucleic acids, purin bodies, pyriinidin bases, sulphur-containing compounds, and 

 proteins. Volume 5 has already been noted (E. S. R., 25, p. 107). Volume 6 

 discusses coloring matter of plants and of the animal world, and volume 7, 

 part 1, tannins, lichen substances, saponins, bitter substances, and terpenes. 



Handbook of biochemical methods, edited by E. Abdeehalden {IlandMich 

 der BiochemiscJien Arbeit smetkoden. Berlin and Vienna, 1910-11, vols. 3, pt. 

 1, pp. XXXII+706; pt. 2, pp. 707-1368, figs. J,13; J,, pp. XV I +699-1 527, figs. 16; 

 5, pt. 1, pp, 672, figs. 168). — This extensive work of which volumes 1 and 2 have 

 been previously noted (E. S. R., 23, p. 410) deals with practically all the chem- 

 ical and biological methods of Importance employed in animal and vegetable, 

 physiological and pathological research, and constitutes a most comprehensive 

 summary of data pertaining to biological problems and their solution. 



The chemical differentiation of species, Muriel Wheldale (Bio-Chem. 

 Jour., 5 {1911), No. 10, i)p. .'i.'f5-Jf56, pi. 1). — The author here discusses the ques- 

 tion of determining allied species and genera in plants by the chemical com- 

 pounds peculiar to the respective species or genera. 



Mechanisms of cell activity, C. L. Alsbeeg (Science, n. sc7:, 3/f {1911), No. 

 865, pp. 97-105). — A critical discussion in regard to chemical and physical 

 principles which play a part in the cellular mechanism. 



The centenary of glucose and the early history of starch, B. Hekstein 

 (Jour. Indus, and Engin. Chcm., 3 {1911), No. 3, pp. 15S-16S). — This is a dis- 

 cussion in regard to the history of starch, dextrin, and glucose. 



Hydrocarbons of vegetable origin, T. Klobb, J. Garnier and R. Ehrwein 

 (Bui. 8oc. Chim. France, -}. ser., 7 (1910), No. 20-21, pp. 9^0-950; ahs. in Jour. 

 Chern. Soc. [London], 98 (1910), No. 578, II, pp. 1100, 1101).— This is a de- 

 scription of a method for isolating hydrocarbons occurring in plants. 



The plant material is usually extracted with either cold or warm light 

 petroleum-ether, and the extract which remains after evaporating off the solvent 

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