EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. 37. Abstract Number. No.3» 



RECENT WORK IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



AGRICTJLTiniAL CHEMISTRY— AGROTECHNT. 



The preparation of pure crystalline mannose and a study of its mutaro- 

 tation, C. S. Hudson and H. L. Sawyeb {Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc, 39 (1911), 

 No. S, pp. Jf70-478). — A method of crystallizing mannose directly and in large 

 yield from the products of acid hydrolysis of vegetable ivory (the endosperm 

 of the seed uf the tagiia palm, Phytelcphas macrocarpa) has been devised and 

 is described in detail. The rate of mutarotation of an aqueous solution was 

 carefully studied, the results indicating that it is similar to that of other 

 aldose and ketose sugars and is caused by a balanced reaction between a-man- 

 nose and /3-manuose. 



The acetyl derivatives of the sugars, O. S. Hudson {Jour. Indus, and Engin. 

 Chem., 8 {1916), No. 4, pp. 380-382). — An address delivered at the presentation 

 of the Nichols medal to the author, March 10, 1916. 



A relation between the chemical constitution and the optical rotatory 

 power of the phenylhydrazids of certain acids of the sugar group, C. S. Hud- 

 son {Jour. Amcr. Chem. Soc, 39 {1911), No. 3, pp. 462-^70). 



The reactions of both the ions and the molecules of acids, bases, and salts; 

 the inversion of nienthone by sodium, potassium, and lithium ethylates, 

 W. A. Gbusb and S. F. Acbee {Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc, 39 {1917), No. 3, pp. 

 376-388, figs. S). 



Concerning the failure to detect omithin in plants, A. Kizel (Kiesel) {Izv. 

 Imp. Akad. Nauk {Bui. Acad. Imp. Soi. Petrograd), 6. ser., 1915, No. 15, pp. 

 1661-1665). — The author considers previous failures to detect ornithin in 

 plants to be due to the lack of proper conditions for successful analyses. Ex- 

 periments were conducted with ornithin obtained from arginin from edestin 

 of hempseed by the action of arginase from liver and from wheat sprouts. 

 From the results of the experiments it is concluded that the following condi- 

 tions are necessary for the best precipitation of ornithin by phosphotungstic 

 acid : More concentrated solutions of ornithin ; a large excess of phosphotungstic 

 acid to reduce the solubility of the precipitated ornithin ; increased acidity of 

 the solution during precipitation ; washing of the precipitate with phospho- 

 tungstic acid or a mixture of phosphotungstic and sulphuric acids, rather than 

 with 5 per cent sulphuric acid alone ; and allowing the precipitate to stand for 

 some time before filti'ation, as the precipitate forms very slowly. 



Decomposition of pyroracemic acid by dead plants in the presence of a 

 hydrogen acceptor, V. I. Palladin, E. I. Lovchinovskaia, and A. I. Ai^ksieev 

 {Izv. Imp. Akad. Nauk {Bui. Acad. Imp. Sci. Petrograd), 6. ser., 1915, No. 7, 

 pp. 589-600). — In earlier work the authors have studied the influence exerted 

 by hydrogen acceptors on alcoholic fermentation and respiration of plants, as 



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