AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY AGROTECHNY. 203 



The effect of the ultraviolet rays upon diastase and invertase and a mix- 

 ture of both enzyms, A, Chauchard and B. Mazon^ (Conipt. Rend. Acad. 8ci. 

 [Paris], 152 {1911), No. 2^, pp. 1709-1713; ais. in Wchnschr. Brau., 28 (1911), 

 No. 30, p. 336). — These tests were conducted with barley malt diastase and yeast 

 invertase. Both enzyms were found to be destroyed quite rapidly at first by 

 the rays, but later the process went on much slower. Malt diastase was the 

 more sensitive of the two. When the diastase was in a mixture with invertase 

 it was also destroyed much more quickly than invertase. 



Action of the Bulgarian ferment upon monobasic acids, G. Bertrand and 

 R. Veillon {Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris], 152 {1911), No. 6, pp. 330-332).— 

 Continuing earlier work** in part previously noted (E. S. R., 18, p. 871) the 

 authors have studied the effect of the Bulgarian ferment upon the calcium salts 

 of gluconic, galactonic, and mannonic acids. 



The results show that in media containing glucose, and with either calcium 

 gluconate, galactouate, maimonate, or lactobionate a formation of lactic acid 

 still takes place, but only in proportion to the corresponding amount of glucose 

 present. In a mixture of lactose with the same salts lactic acid is also pro- 

 duced in direct relation to the amount of sugar present, with the exception 

 in the case of the calcium lactobionate, where the amount is much in excess of 

 the sugar. This work shows that the Bulgarian ferment produces an endolac- 

 tase only when developed in a media containing lactose. 



The behavior of fungi with organic acids, R. O. Herzog, O. Ripke, and O. 

 Saladin {Ztschr. Physiol. Chem., 73 {1911), No. S-lf, pp. 290-301).— This, test 

 shows that the acid in the medium is not oxidized, and that neither simple salt 

 formation, adsoiiition by the cellular mass, or ester formation offer an ex- 

 planation of the phenomenon. No definite conclusions were drawn. 



Conditions for tannic acid fermentation, L. Knudson {Ahs. in Science, n. 

 scr., 3Jt {1911), No. 868, p. 219).— The tests of the author point to the fact that 

 if tannic acid is the only source of carbon present, the gallic acid produced as 

 the result of tannic acid transformation is utilized in the metabolic processes 

 of the organism (Aspergillus niger or Penicillium glaiicum), and this is in 

 direct proportion to the amount of growth of the fungus. Where other sources 

 of carbon (sugar, etc.) are present the gallic acid produced may be utilized 

 when the other carbon sources have been exhausted. 



The behavior of Penicillium with acetic acid and its salts, J. Reichel 

 (Biochem. Ztschr., 30 (1910), No. 1-2, pp. 152-159; abs. in Zenthl. Physiol., 2.'t 

 (1910), No. 26, p. 1228). — Free acetic acid was foimd to exert an unfavorable 

 influence upon the development of Penicillium glaucum. This action was also 

 manifest when glucose, cane sugar, tartaric acid, and aluminum acetate were 

 present. The cause for this inhibiting action is not the hydrogen ion concen- 

 tration nor the presence of acetate ions, but is accounted for by the presence 

 of 3 undissociated acids. The acetates in an acid solution act in the same 

 manner. When the fungus is grown in an acid solution a diminution in acidity 

 takes place. 



The phosphorus assimilation of Aspergillus niger, A. W. Dox (Jour. Biol. 

 Chem-., 10 (1911), No. 1, pp. 77-80). — Aspergillus niger was found to grow well 

 en sodium orthophosphate, pyrophosphate, metaphosphate, phytin, sodium 

 glycerinophosphate, sodium nucleinate, lecithin, casein, and ovovitellin medias, 

 while with sodium hypophosphite there was only germination and with sodium 

 phosphite no growth whatever. 



« Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris], 148 (1909), p. 1338; Ann. Inst. Pasteur, 

 23 (1909), p. 402. 



