EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol-. XXV. Abstract Number. No. 3. 



RECENT WORK IN AGRICULTURAL SCIliNCE. 



AGRICULTUKAL CHEMISTRY— AGROTECHNY. 



The organic chemistry of nitrogen, N. V. Sidgwick {Oxford, 1910, pp. 

 Z+//i5). — This book had its origin in lectures given to the more advanced 

 students at the University of Oxford, and while in no sense directly intended 

 as a work of reference it gives an account of the present state of knowledge 

 in those parts of this subject which are of great theoretical interest and may 

 eventually have a practical bearing. 



The chapters of the book are as follows : Compounds with no nitrogen directly 

 attached to carbon — esters of nitrous and nitric acids; bodies containing one 

 nitrogen atom attached to carbon — amins, aromatic amins, amids, derivatives 

 of hydroxylamin, nitroso compounds, nitro compounds, carbonic acid deriva- 

 tives, and cyanogen compounds ; compounds containing an open chain of two 

 or more nitrogen atoms — hydraziu derivatives, diazo compounds, azo compounds, 

 azoxy compounds, nitramins, and derivatives of carbonic acid ; compounds con- 

 taining a chain of throe or more nitrogen atoms — uric acid derivatives; and 

 ring compounds. 



Studies in the chlorophyll group. — V. Final proof of the identity of 

 chlorophyllpyrrole and hemopyrrole, L. Makchlewski and L. Barabass 

 {IHochvin. Ztschr., 21 {1909), Xo. G, pp. 5J,S-550; abs. in Chem. Zentbl., 1909, II, 

 p. 2171; Chem. Abs., 5 {1911), No. 5, p. 871). — This work shows that hemopyr- 

 role on condensation with benzenediazonium chlorid yields two azo dyes, which 

 have the formulas CoHsN^CsHnNN^CaHsHCl and CoHbNsCsHiiNCsHiiNN.CoHbHCI. 

 Both of these are also yielded by chlorophyllpyrrole. 



In regard to the nitrogenous substances of a nonprotein nature in the 

 sugar beet, K. Smolenski {Ztschr. Ver. Deut. Zuclcerindus., 1910, No. 659, 

 II, pp. 1215-1261). — The diffusion juices of a Russian sugar refinery were ex- 

 amined and found to contain the following nitrogenous but nonprotein bodies: 

 Vernin, allantoin, asparagin, glutamin (?), and betain. No cholin nor tyrosin 

 were present. Contrary to the statements which frequently appear, the author 

 found that asparagin in an aqueous solution can increase the polarization, par- 

 ticulai'Iy when an excess of lead subacetate is employed. In concentrated 

 alcoholic solutions, however, no increase in polarization could be noted. He 

 points out that much more research will have to be done in order to establish 

 whether asparagin or asparaginic acid is present in the beet itself, and also in 

 I'egard to the optical properties of asparagin and asparaginic and glutaminic 

 acids. 



Note on the nitrogenous constituents of grape must, J. Lewis {Agr. 

 Jour. Cape Good Hope, 37 {1910), No. 4, pp. 445-4^7). — The ammoniacal and 



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