AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY AGROTECHNY. 203 , 



.>S). — By extracting the seeds of Luiiinus all)u.s a phosphate complex was ob- 

 tainetl which consisted of a portion easily soluble in alcohol and a portion 

 ditlicultly soluble. The latter has been previously investigated by Winterstein 

 and Stegnian (E. S. R., 28, p. 7). 



l"^'actionations made with alcohol, ether, and acetone of the portion easily 

 soluble in alcohol yielded 12 ditTerent fractions, of which 3 could be considered 

 true phosphatids. The rest were more or less pure, but could not be con- 

 sidered definite carbohydrates, and in all probability were mixtures or com- 

 pounds of carbohydrates and nitrogen-containing substances. The fraction;^ 

 soluble in acetone were found to contain phosphatids, odoriferous substances, 

 lipochrome, and possibly stearin and fats. 



The 3 phosphatids contained 3.4G, 4.31. and 3.33 i)ev cent of phosphorus, and 

 1.38, 1.56, and 1.4G per cent of nitrogen, respectively. The cleavage products 

 contained stearin, palmitin, and unsjiturated fatty acids, and 2 contained 

 glycero-phosphorlc acid. One of the preparations also contained an organic 

 base which was not studie<l; another cholin; and another contained instead of 

 choliui a base having the composition ColI^iiNsOa and named " Vidni." 



The localization of betaiu in plants, V. SxANtiK (Iloppc-lScylcr's Ztschr. 

 Pht/ffiol. Chan., 72 (I'Jll), No. 5-6, pp. J,02-409; abs. in Jour. Chem. Soc. 

 [London], 100 (1911), No. 587, II, pp. 818, 819).— Analyses were made of 

 various parts of Beta rulgarifi snccharum, Triticiim rulgarc, LycMim harbnrum, 

 Afriplc.v cancficeiis, and Amnranthus rctroflcxu.'i, by a method which is de- 

 scribed. It was found that betains are very irregularly located in the plant. 

 A large amount of belain is present in the leaves during the early stage of 

 growth, but gradually decreases as ripening sets in. 



"Young shoots are also rich in betain, while the bark and wood (Lycium 

 and xV triplex) contain very little. The root and leaves of Amaranthus con- 

 tain 0.48 and 2.16 per cent respectively, and those of the sugar beet 0.95 to 

 1.2 per cent and 2.62 per cent betain. The seeds of all the plants tested were 

 strikingly poor in this compound. The whole of the analyses appear to indi- 

 cate a localization of betain at points of energetic physiological activity. 

 The high percentages found in young leaves, shoots, and the root of a, biennial 

 plant such as sugar beet lead to the conclusions that betain plays an impor- 

 tant part in the nitrogen metabolism of plants, but does not serve as a reserve 

 foodstuff." 



Investigations in regard to the betains occurring in plants, II, E. Schulzf 

 and G. Trier (Hoppe-Scylcr's Ztschr. Physiol. Chem., 76 (1912), No. J,, pp. 258- 

 290). — Continuing the work previously noted (E. S. R., 26, p. 713), the authors 

 find that sunflower ^eeds (Ilclianthus annuus) in the form of sunflower cake 

 contain very little betain, about i gm. of betain chlorid being obtained from 

 5 gm. of the cake. The leaves and stems of H. tuherosus yielded 1.5 gm. of 

 betain chlorid from 6 gm. of material, w'hile the bulbs gave 2 gm. of this salt 

 from 25 gm. of material. The unripe seed coats of the vetch (Vicia sativa) 

 yielded 1.33 gm. of betain chlorid from 488 gm. of dry substance, while the seed 

 itself yielded from 100 gm. an average of 0.38 gm. of betain chlorid. Green 

 vetch plants harvested before the blooming stage showed an average of 0.238 

 gm. of betain chlorid per 100 gm. of dry substance. The fresh green stems and 

 leaves of peas (Pisum sativum) gave an average of 0.088 gm. of trigonellin 

 per 100 gm. dry substance, as compared with 0.05 gm. of trigonellin from the 

 seeds. 



Black root (Scorzonera hispanica), the tubers of Dahlia variabilis, and 

 chicory root (Cichorium intybus) all contained trigonellin, but the former two 

 contained only very small amounts. From chicory root another base besides 

 cholin was obtained, the amount, however, being so small that the product 



