426 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.40 



Sunlight passing through the upper layers of the atmosphere, while still rich 

 in ultraviolet wave lengths, must produce vast amounts of ozone, which may 

 oxidize nitrogen, giving nitrites and nitrates. It is thought that many of the 

 natural bleaching, deodorizing, and sterilizing actions in air and water, hitherto 

 ascrihed to hydrogen peroxid and ozone, are more probably due to nitrites and 

 oxids of nitrogen of high dilutions possessing an odor indistinguishable from 

 that of ozone. It is stated that air bubbled through distilled water gives after- 

 wards a positive reaction when tested for both nitrites and nitrates. It is said 

 that neither hydrogen peroxid nor ozone exists at surface level. 



Action of light rays on organic compounds, and the photosynthesis of 

 organic from inorganic compounds in presence of inorganic colloids. B. 

 Moore and T. A. Webster {Proc. Roy. 8oc. [London], Set: B. 90 [1918), Wo. B 

 627, pp. 168-186). — Giving results of work related to that previously noted 

 (E. S. It., 33, p. G27) and that noted above, the authors state that a number of 

 organic systems, In the presence of carbon dloxid and under exposure to light, 

 can build up formaldehyde, while others remain inert. The activity is related 

 to the development of an optimum degree of colloidality, and is probably not 

 due to the formation of higher or lower oxids but rather tit surface i ondensation 

 on interfaces. 



The report also discussed conditions favorable to condensation of formalde- 

 hyde to form-reducing substances leading to the formation of carbohydral 

 as well as the energetics of such a system and the effects of general or local 

 concentration upon which the equilibrium point depends In reversible reactions. 

 A general reversible reaction is described as a result of which formaldehyde 

 arises in all intense reactions of light upon substances of biochemical origin, 

 this reaction under excessive light being supposedly a reversal of the process by 

 which all organic matter has been built up from Inorganic. Some bearings of 

 these points are discussed, in particular as regards the germicidal action of sun- 

 light and ultraviolet rays. It is claimed thai the simple organic products 

 formed are Incompatible with the life processes Of living organisms and there- 

 fore cause their destruction. 



The authors claim that the building up of organic from inorganic matter 

 must have preceded the advent of living organisms on the earth, and that all 

 accumulations of reduced substances possessing -tores of chemical energy must 

 have arisen from the energy of sunlight 



Oxidases: With special reference to their presence and function in the sugar 

 cane, R. Nakain (Agr. -lour. l»<!in. Indian ScL Cong. Wo., t918, pp. \7-64)- — 

 In order to throw light on the question as to whether or not oxidases can be re- 

 garded as enzymic, the author has made a study of the presence and behavior of 

 oxidases in sugar cane, the phenomenon of browning and the chromogen of the 

 cane, the action of preservatives, the effect of medium on the action of the 

 oxidases, the strength of oxidases in different portions of the cane, the effect 

 Of boiling the oxidase extract, the action of reducing agents on the oxidases, the 

 acidity of the cell sap. the starch potassium iodid test for oxidases, the pres- 

 ence Of nitrites in the cell sap. and the nature of oxidases. The results are de- 

 tailed, am! the conclusion has been reached that the oxidases are not enzymic in 

 any sense, but that they are probably compounds of some Inorganic substat 

 with certain colloids which are probably not proteins as has been supposed. 



The ex^aluation of the soil temperature factor in root growth. W. A. CANNON 

 (Plant World, 21 {1918), No. S, pp. ftf-07)' — The author proposes the formula 

 TR, the product of growth rate at a given temperature by the time that tempera- 

 ture is maintained, for the effectiveness of temperature at a given place. A.C- 

 cording to this, the relative temperature-growth effects on Covillea tiiihnla'a 



