RECENT WORK IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY— AGROTECHNY. 



Annual reports on the progress of chemistry for 1909, edited by J. C. Cain 

 (Ami. Rpts. Prog. Chem. [London^, 6 (1909) pp. 283).— This report contains a 

 sununary of tlie more important advances in general, physical, inorganic, 

 organic, stereo-, analytical, physiological, and mineralogical chemistry. TLere 

 are also chapters (tn vegetable physiology and radioactivity. 



The chemistry of milk and dairy products for the year 1908, M. Siegfeld 

 (Chan. Ztg., 33 (1909), Xos. 97, pp. 865, 866; 98. pp. 869^871; 99, pp. 878-880).— 

 This Is a i-etrospect of the more important advances in milk and dairy chem- 

 istry during 1908. 



Report on the progress of milk chemistry and dairying for 1909, Grimmer 

 (.yUchn-. ZcnthL, 6 (1910), Xo. 3, pp. 97-113) .—This is a retrospect of the more 

 important advances in the chemistry of milk and dairy products for the 

 second half of the year 1909. See a previous note (E. S. R., 22, p. 114). 



About carbenzym, E. Falk and A. Sticker (Milnchcii. Med. Wchnschr., 57^ 

 (1910). Xo. 1, pp. .'i-7 ; (lbs. in Biochem. ZcnthL, 9 (1910). Xo. 17, pp. 767, 7'6'8).— " 

 The authors' results indicate that trypsin is not rendered inactive by charcoal, 

 and that charcoal is not an antiferment. They are inclined to accept Hedin's 

 views (E. S. R., 22, p. 60S) that charcoal has only the property of fixing the 

 enzym and that it can be easily liberated providing the proper solvents are used. 

 The enzyms absorl>ed by animal charcoal reqnire casein as a solvent, while 

 trypsin wliich is absorl)ed by. vegetable charcoal can be easily liberated and 

 extracted by other protein solntions. Plant charcoal showed the greatest ca- 

 pacity for absorbing enzyms and antienzyms. On the basis of these findings 

 the authors prepared the i)rodnct known under the term " carbenzym." 



A theory of oxydase reactions. Manganese and iron-free oxydases, A. 

 Bach (Bci: Dcut. Chem. GeselL, Ji3 (1910), Xo. 2, pp. 36. '/-3 66.) .—The author 

 concludes from his work with Lactarius velleretis and Russula delica that the 

 presence of manganese and iron compounds is not altogether essential for 

 oxydase reactions. 



A rapid method for extracting and purifying plant oxydases, A. Bach 

 {Ber. Dent. Chnn. GescU., J,3 (1910), Xo. 2, pp. 362, 363).— \ description is 

 given of a fractionation method for working up plant extracts which contain 

 pectins and gummy matter. It consists of treating the plant extract, which 

 contains 5 to 10 per cent of magnesium sulphate, repeatedly with alcohol and 

 collecting the various fractions. A feature of the method is that very little 

 alcohol is required for the operation. 



The nitrogen and ash constituents of some ornamental plants, A. Hebert 

 and G. Truffaut (Bill. Soc. Chini. France, J,, scr., 7 (1910), Xo. 1, pp. 31-37).^- 

 Analyses are given of about 60 species of ornamental plants in wiiich the dry 

 matter, total nitrogen, and ash were determined. 

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