RECENT WORK IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



AGRICULTUKAL CHEMISTRY— AGROTECHNY. 



Simple plant bases and their relation to the synthesis of proteins and 

 lecithins, G. Teier (Uber einfache Pflanzcnhasen und ihre Beziehungen zum 

 Aufbau cler Eiweissstoffe und Lecithine. Berlin, 1912, pp. IV+llT). — ^This 

 practically constitutes a review of the investigations of E. Schulze and his co- 

 workers (abstracted from time to time) and the work of others in this field. 

 Support is given to the Stoklasa theory that the formation of the simplest 

 amino acids of proteins is inseparable from the formation of the components 

 (bausteine) which go to make up the lecithins. The alcohols of the lecithins 

 and the amino acids of the proteins are both deemed a result of Cannizzaro's 

 aldehyde reaction. 



The contents of the book include data on the development of alkaloid chem- 

 istry; alkaloids and their "bausteine;" the relation between cholin and be- 

 tain; a new conception of the formation of cholin and betain as well as the 

 simplest components (bausteine) of proteins and lecithins; formation of car- 

 bohydrates; Cannizzaro's reaction; the introduction of nitrogen in complexes 

 predestined to become proteins and lecithins; nitrates and ammonium salts; 

 function of phosphoric acid ; the synthesis of lecithins ; the methylating agent ; 

 the position of methyl alcohol and methyl compounds; transformations of glyc- 

 erol aldehyde; the amino acids — serin derivatives; the formation of methyl- 

 amin — the formamid hypothesis ; the compounds of the C4-series — asparagin ; 

 the compounds of the Cs- and Ce-series — glutamin, pentoses; urea and urea 

 derivatives ; cleavage of arginin : the role of hydrocyanic acid — Treub"s hypoth- 

 esis; unknown components (bausteine) of proteins; formation of trigonelliu; 

 significance of betain; intermediary formation of betain; components (bau- 

 steine) of plant and animal pho.sphatids : the author's studies in regard to the 

 method of preparing lecithins from plant seeds ; an explanation of the 

 parallelism between protein and lecithin formation ; biological functions of 

 lecithins, etc. 



In regard to our knowledge of phytin, M. A. Jegorow (ZJiur. Opytn. Agron. 

 {Russ. Jour. Expt. Landw.), U {1913}, No. 4, pp. 229-237).— The product 

 yielded by Contardi's method for synthesizing phytin always contains inorganic 

 phosphoric acid, and in the most favorable cases only one-half of the original 

 phosphoric acid is present in the organic form when determined by the Schulze- 

 Castoro method. In the experiments it was also shown that the inorganic 

 phosphoric acid, which in the synthetic product exists as free acid, can be 

 easily and completely extracted at room temperature with ether. Tile only or- 

 ganic phosphoric acid compound obtainable is one containing 22.6 per cent of 

 organically boimd phosphorus (P^Os 51.76 per cent). 



Investigation of the mannit occurring in asparagus juice, E. Busolt (Jour. 

 Landw., 60 (1912), No. 4, pp. 393-396). — It has been previously pointed out by 

 Tollens and Wichers (E, S. R., 27, p. 502) that asparagus juice does not seem 

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