BOTANY. 925 



"Vigorous, succuleut loaves from young shoots, which are the ones most liable to 

 be eaten by cattle, are far more poisonous than the leaves from a mature tree or 

 stunted shrub. 



"Leaves wilted in bright sunlight to about 75 per cent original weight, or until 

 they begin to appear slightly limp and to lose their gloss, yield the maximum amount 

 of prussic acid." 



Concerning proteid synthesis in green plants, B. IIansteen 

 (Christiania VidensJcaba Selskabs Skriften, 1898, /, No. 3; a lis. in Chem. 

 Ztg., 22 (1898), No. 95, Repert, p. 291).— The conclusions of the author, 

 as shown by the abstract, indicate that light is not essential to proteid 

 formation in phanerogams. This important function may take place 

 in the dark under a number of conditions, namely, when the living 

 cells are supplied with asparagin, glutamin, ammonia, ammonium 

 chlorid, or ammonium sulphate and grape sugar, or when they are 

 supplied with asparagin, ammonia, ammonium chlorid or ammonium 

 sulphate with a reducing sugar, and when given ammonia or gly- 

 cocol m connection with cane sugar and, possibly, with other non- 

 reducing sugars. The chemical nature of the carbohydrates present 

 is a matter of considerable importance in the transformation of amids 

 and amido acids into proteids, since proteid formation is dependent 

 upon the presence of carbohydrates and nitrogen compounds. The 

 various forms of nitrogenous compounds are not equally efficient in 

 proteid synthesis. The best source of nitrogen has been found to be 

 ammonia, followed by others in the following order: Ammonium 

 chlorid, ammonium sulphate, glycocol, asparagin, and glutamin. 

 Leucin, alanin, kreatin, potassium and sodium nitrate are not adapted 

 to proteid synthesis in Lemna minor when grown in the dark, and the 

 author states that it is probably true of other phanerogams. The 

 alkali chlorid present has a regulatory influence on the active proto- 

 plasm, in that the chlorids present tend to regulate the production of 

 proteids and the consumption of carbohydrates in the proper propor- 

 tion in the plant. An abnormal amount of carbohydrates formed will 

 be at the expense of proteid production, and vice versa. When one 

 fertilizes with potassium chlorid, the amount of chlorid will determine 

 whether the production of plant material will proceed normally or not 

 and this amount varies with different plants. 



Formation of albuminoid substances in plants by the reduction 

 of nitrates, A. Hebert [Ann. Agron., 21 (1898), No. 9, pp. 1 16-140). — 

 The author gives a historical review of considerable of the literature 

 relative to the formation of albuminoids, and states various theories 

 which have been advanced by Loew, Victor Meyer, E. Schulze, Bach, 

 Guiltier, and others. A brief statement is given concerning the 

 author's investigations on the presence and localization of hydrocy- 

 anic acid in certain plants. None were found present in a number of 

 aroides examined, while slight quantities were found in different parts 

 of Ribes spp. Hydrocyanic acid is said not to occur to any appreciable 

 extent in the horticultural varieties of rose. 



