EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol, XXXIY. Abstract Number. No. 6. 



RECENT WORK IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY— AGROTECHNY. 



Proceedings of the thirtieth annual convention of the Association of Offi- 

 cial Agricultural Chemists, 1913 {Jour Assgc. Off. Agr. Chem., 1 (1915), Nos. 

 1, pp. iy+16S; 2, pp. IV +169-352). —This is a detailed report of the proceed- 

 ings of tlie convention held at Washington, D. C, November 17-19, 1913, pre- 

 viously noted (E. S. R., 29, p. 795). 



The character of the water-soluble nitrogen of some common feeding 

 stuffs, E. B. Hart and W. H. Bentley {Jour. Biol. Chem., 22 {1915), No. 3, 

 pp. ^77-483). — "The 'amid' nitrogen of feeding stuffs is largely composed of 

 free amino acids and peptid linkings. In most cases the nitrogen in these 

 structures constitutes from 50 to 70 per cent of the water-soluble nitrogen. 

 The acid-amid nitrogen is relatively small, seldom exceeding 20 per cent of the 

 water-soluble nitrogen, and more often being below 10 per cent. Corn stover 

 is an interesting exception, showing appi'oximately 40 per cent of the water- 

 soluble nitrogen in acid-amid form. The ammonia nitrogen rarely exceeded 

 5 per cent of the total water-soluble nitrogen, and in some instances was wholly 

 absent." 



The free amino nitrogen of the different proteins of ox and horse serum, 

 P. Hartley {Biochem. Jour., 9 {1915), No. 2, pp. 269-271). — The experimental 

 results obtained by the author are in agreement with those of Van Slyke and 

 Birchard as previously noted (E. S. R., 33, p. 201). 



On constituents of oil of cassia, F. D. Dodge and A. E. Sheendal {Jour. 

 Indus, and Engin. Chem., 7 {1915), No. 12, pp. 1055, 1056).— The results of a 

 thorough examination of the oil of cassia showed that it " contained at least 0.5 

 per cent soluble in dilute alkali, consisting of a mixture* of about 25 

 per cent salicylic aldehyde, 60 per cent coumarin, from 8 to 10 per cent cinnamic 

 acid, and small amounts of salicylic acid, benzoic acid, and a volatile liquid acid 

 not identified. No phenol, other than salicylic aldehyde, could be detected. 

 Although present in small proportion, salicylic aldehyde and coumarin undoubt- 

 edly contribute to the composite aroma of the oil. In fact, the presence of the 

 former can be often detected by odor in the first fraction of a redistilled oil." 



The oil of the wild grape seed, Vitis riparia, G. D. Beal and C. K. Beebe 

 {Jour. Indus, and Engin. Chem., 7 {1915), No. 12, p. 1054)- — Physical and chemi- 

 cal examination of the oil extracted from the ground seeds with petroleum ether 

 gave the following data : Density at 15° C, 0.9425 ; refractive index at 15°, 

 1.4781; saponification value 187.9; iodin value 76.47; acetyl value 61.29; in- 

 soluble fatty acids 90 per cent; neutralization value 173.4; total fatty acids 



501 



