RECENT WORK IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY— AGROTECHNY. 



A contribution to the chemistry of phytin, R. J. Anderson (New York 

 State 8ta. Tech. Bui. 32 {1914), PP- 3-U).—The subject is treated under four 

 different headings, as follows : 



I. Concerning the organic phosphoric acid of cotton-seed meal, II (pp. 4-11). — 

 Since the results of Rather (E. S. R., 29, p. 804) did not harmonize with the 

 earlier work of the author (E. S. R., 28, p. 505) the work on cotton-seed meal 

 was repeated in the hope of establishing more definitely the composition of the 

 organic phosphoric acid of cotton-seed meal. From 25 lbs. of cotton-seed meal 

 69 gm. of barium salt, after recrystallizing eleven times, was obtained. It was 

 free from heavy metals other than barium and no weighable quantity of alkalis 

 could be obtained from 0.5 gm. of the salt. " It w^as completely free from inor- 

 ganic phosphate and it was free from nitrogen and sulphur." Silver salts pre- 

 pared from the isolated acid did not seem to be suitable for identifying the 

 acid in question. They were obtained as amorphous precipitates and did not 

 represent homogeneous salts. They are believed to be mixtures of more or 

 less acid silver salts of inosit hexaphosphate because after deducting the amount 

 of silver found, allowing for a corresponding amount of hydrogen and water 

 and calculating to free acid, the results agreed very closely with the percentage 

 composition calculated for inosit hexaphosphate. The acid pi'eparation used 

 did not give, as Rather found in his investigations, a precipitate on the addition 

 of alcohol. 



II. Concerning phytin in oats (pp. 12-21). — The purpose of this investigation 

 was to determine whether the phytin in oats (E. S. R., 21, p. 60S) was identi- 

 cal with the phytin from other sources. Several preparations were made from 

 different lots of oats with a 0.2 per cent hydrochloric acid solution and precipi- 

 tation as a barium salt with barium chlorid. " The substance was then repeat- 

 edly precipitated from dilute hydrochloric acid alternately with alcohol and 

 with pure recrystallized barium hydroxid (Kahlbaum) until all bases other 

 than barium were removed and until all the inorganic phosphate was 

 eliminated." 



No crystalline substance was obtained, but on analysis the various prepara- 

 tions gave analytical results which agreed well amongst themselves although 

 the composition was considerably different from that of phytic acid. The 

 preparations were found finally to consist of two different organic phosphoric 

 acids, but only one was isolated in a pure form. The portion insoluble in water 

 after removal of the soluble part was obtained as a barium salt in crystalline 

 form in the same manner as in the case of that prepared from cotton-seed meal. 

 " So far as one can judge by crystal-form, composition, properties, and reac- 

 tions, the -crystalline salts obtained from oats and cotton-seed meal are identi- 

 cal." The water-soluble substance noted above could only be obtained as a snow- 

 white amorphous powder the composition of which differed entirely from the 



66492°— No. S— 14 2 707 



