AGRTCULTFRAL CirEMISTRY ACROTKCIl XV. 611 



the decomposition of the filter paper will coninience and will ju' (•onipleied in 

 to 93 days. The rate of decomposition is scored accordiiij,' to a scale ranyini,' 

 from zero to 4. This method is recommended in preference to that of licniy 

 (E. S. R, 15, p. 859) for the rpiantitative deternunation of the bacterial activity 

 in soils. 



The formation of gluconic acid by the olive-tubercle organism and the 

 function of oxidation in some micro-org'anisms, C. L. Alshkrg (Prac. Soc. 

 Expt. Biol, and Med., 6 (1909), No. 3, p. S3: Rrpriuf. p. /).— "The olive-tubercle 

 organism [Bacterium savastonoi), recently described by E. F. Smith (E. S. K.. 

 20. p. 249), when grown in the presence of glucose and an excess of calcium 

 carbonate converts the greater part of the glucose into calcium gluconate. The 

 amount of energy liberated thereby is exceedingly great in comparison to the 

 weight of the organisms. This is to be explained by the fact that the energy 

 requirements of micro-organisms are very much greater than those of higlier 

 forms, partly because of the disproportion between the body surface and the 

 body A-olume of micro-organisms, and partly because micro-organisms exist in a 

 medium which is an excellent conductor of heat." 



New method for extracting' a phosphatid from plants, A. Contardi (.1/// /?. 

 Accad. Lined. Bend. CI. Xr-/. Fix.. Mat. e Xat., 5. so:, IS (,1909), I, Xo. 2. pp. 

 64-67; ais. in Clieni. Ahs., .', (1910), Xo. 12, p. 1619).— In this work finely 

 powdered rice hulls were treated with 2 parts of a 0.2 to 0.3 per cent hydro- 

 chloric acid solution, and the liquid then pressed out, heated at a point lower 

 than the boiling point, and neutralized with magnesium oxid. The precipitate 

 thus formed, which is voluminous, is treated with hydrochloric acid on the 

 water bath (a certain amount of the precipitate remains undissolved). The 

 phosphatid (phytin) is deposited slowly in a crystalline form from the filtrate. 

 The yield from 200 kg. of raw material was 10 kg. 



The chemistry of barley spelts. K. Geys (Ztsclir. CiCi^am. Brainr., 33 (1910). 

 No. 28, pp. 3Jf7-3'i9). — The ether extract of barley spelts yielded a crude fat 

 which had a dark green color and a melting point lying between 45 and 47° C. 

 This with the aid of hot alcohol was separated into a wax and a fat. The wax 

 after repeated crystallization was found to have the following constants : Melt- 

 ing point 68° C, specific gravity 0.977 at 15° C, acid number 21, ester number 5S, 

 and saponification number 79. The fat, which was soluble in cold alcohol, liad 

 a melting point of from 18 to 19° C, specific gravity from 0.92(5 to 0.928. ioc'in 

 number 65, and saponification numV>er 192. Tannic acid could not be isolated 

 from the alcoholic extracts, but in both the alcoholic and ethereal extracts 

 phosphorus could be detected. 



From a watery hydrochloric acid solution a phosphorous compound could Uo 

 isolated, which the author regards as identical with phytin. Analysis and 

 hydrolysis seemed to prove this, and it is assumed from the work that without 

 a doubt this organic phosphorous compound is hydrolyzed by enzynis in an 

 aqueous solution. 



About the nonnitrogenous extracts in feeding stuffs, F. Sct-rti (Sla:-. Siki: 

 Agr. Ital., .'i3 (1910), Xo. 1. pp. .5-32). — The author investigated the nitrogen- 

 free extract substances which constitute 40.38 jhm- cent of sweet clover ( tlnl!/- 

 sarum eoronarium) in order to determine their feeding value. The impor- 

 tance of these substances for feeding is i)ointed out. and the author divides (hem 

 into 3 groups: (1) Consisting partly of monosaccharids having 5 to 6 atoms 

 of carbon and partly of disaccharids; (2) the anhydrids of sugars formed by 

 the condensation of the various nmnosaccharids but not im-luding glucose; 

 and (3) those bodies which are of an acid nature and which are i)robabIy 

 derived from the carbohydrates. One hundred parts of dry substance on 



