RECENT WORK IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY. 



starch in nature and in the laboratory, J. Wolff {Ann. Brasa., 1907, p. 361; 

 trans, in Anur. Breircr, JfO (1907), No. 11, pp. 546-550). — From a snmniar.v of 

 recent experiments on the phenomena of liquefaction and coagulation of starcli 

 the conclusion was reached that the principal factors which come into play 

 are the physical state of the starch and the reaction of the salts which accom- 

 l)any it. 



Experiments are reported on the action of malt diastase at 65° C. on starch 

 of different sorts. The lowest amount of starch inverted, 25.4 per cent, was 

 noted with rice and the highest value, 99 per cent, with white Cuzco corn. 



" In these experiments 25 cc. of 10 per cent malt extract were used with 3 

 gni. of the raw starch. The microscopic examination of the various samples 

 shows nothing abnormal morpliologically. Thus we see that the physical jn-op- 

 erties of raw starch may i)e very different, even for varieties of the same spe- 

 cies. This moi-e or less great resistance of raw starches toward diastase does 

 not therefore suffice to class the species in such and such category since they 

 may vary with the climate, but it permits us to explain how in the aerial 

 organs, or those reserve organs of the same plant, starch may be found in 

 greatly different physical states." 



Studies of enzymic action. I, The quantitative determination of proteo- 

 lytic cleavage by means of titration with formol, S. 1'. L. S0rensen (Coinpt. 

 Rend. lAth. Cdilxhcif/, 7 {1907). Xo. /, /;/*. 1-57). — An extended study of experi- 

 mental methods. 



The specific rotation of alcohol extracts of cereal flours, Lindet and I.. 

 Ammann Uiiil. Nor. (Jhi)n. France, ',. .scr., 1 {1907), Xo. 16-17, pp. 9GS-97.'f; 

 Coni/it. Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris], ]Jf5 {1907), No. 4, pp. 253-255).— According 

 to the authors, the specific rotation of alcohol extracts of cereals varies with 

 the concentration of the solution. From the results reported the conclusion is 

 drawn that wheat gliadin is made up of two constituents for which the names 

 a-gliadin and j3-gliadin are proposed. Data are also reported regarding the 

 alcohol extracts of rye, barley, and maize. 



Concerning the constitution of inosinic acid and muscle pentose, F. Bauer 

 (Bcitr. Client. I'lnjsioJ. ii. Path.. 10 {1907). Xo. 9-12, pp. 3.'/5-357 ) .— In con- 

 nection with tliis study the author states that meat extract contains free 

 lientose in addition to that i)roduced from inosinic acid by cleavage. 



On the volumetric estimation of potassium as the cobalti-nitrite, W. A. 

 Drushel, trans, by J. Koppel (Anicr. Jour. Set., J/, ser., 24 {1907), No. 143, pp. 

 433-438; Ztschr. Anorgan. Chem., 56 {1907), No. 2, pp. 223-229; abs. in Analyst, 

 33 {1908), Xo. 382, p. 35; Jour. Chem. Soe. [London], 94 {1908), No. 543, IT, p. 

 66). — In this method "the potassium is precipitated as potassium sodium 

 colbalti-nitrite by an excess of sodium cobalti-nitrite and the mixture is evap- 

 orated on the steam bath. The precipitate is separated by filtration through 

 asbestos and oxidized by hot standard potassium permanganate. The excess 

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