RECENT WORK IN AfxRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY— AGROTECHNY. 



Chemistry, inorganic and organic, C. L. Bloxam (Pliiladdphin, 19 JS, 10. 

 rev. cd., pp. XII+S78, Jigs. 5i3).— Tills is the tenth edition of this well-known 

 work, which has been rewritten and revised by A. G. Bloxam and S. J. Lewis. 



Biochemical hand lexicon, edited by E. Ahderhaldkn (Jiiochcmischrs Hand- 

 lexicon. Berlin, 191',, vol. 8 {Ergdnzuncish. 1), pp. VI-\-501).—ln this work, 

 which is the latest volume of the series, the sections included are Carbohydrates, 

 by G. Zemplen (pp. 1-366) ; Fats and Waxes, by A. Griin (pp. 367-460) ; Phos- 

 phatids, and Protagon and Cerebrosids, by D. Fuchs (pp. 461^72) ; Sterins, and 

 Binary Acids, by A, Fodor (pp. 473-500). For earlier volumes, see previous 

 notes (E. S. R., 26, p. 106). 



Volatility of lactic acid, E. B. Hart and J. J. Willaman {Jour. Amer. Chem. 

 ^oc., 35 (1913), No. 7, pp. 919-923).— A polemic. See other notes (E. S. R., 28, 

 pp. 109, 609; 29, p. 712). The facts pointed out in the present paper, accord- 

 ing to the authors, warrant the following conclusions : 



" Lactic acid is but slightly volatile in steam at 100°. The amount that 

 passes over in the distillation of volatile acids from silage is insignificant, being 

 equivalent to not over 3 or 4 cc. tenth-normal alkali in 4 liters of distillate. 

 Lactic acid is not sufficiently volatile to enable one to calculate a Duclaux curve 

 for it, as only about 3 per cent passes over in the 100 cc. It is suggested that 

 the higher results of Dox and Neidig in their experiments on the volatility of 

 lactic acid may be due to carbon dioxid in the water used, or to volatile im- 

 purities in the lactic acid." 



Phytic acid in cotton-seed meal and wheat bran, J. B. Rather (Jour. Amer. 

 Chem. Soc., 35 (1913), No. 7, pp. S5(?-895).— Previously noted from another 

 source (E. S. R., 27, p. 611). 



Studies on melanin. — V, A comparison of certain nitrogen ratios in black 

 and in white wool from the same animal, R. A. Gortner (Jour. Amer. Chem. 

 Soc., 35 (1913), No. 9, pp. J26'2-/268).— Studies in this connection have been 

 previously noted (E. S. R., 23, p. 778; 27, pp. 46S. 671). Acting on the assump- 

 tion that melano-proteins might be formed by the oxidation of some components 

 of the keratin structure an analysis of black and white wool taken from the 

 same animal was made. This was done with the hope of being able to note 

 a chromogen as a part of normal wool structure or possibly as a foreign secre- 

 tion in the hair follicle " solely for the purpose of pigment formation and not 

 utilized in the elaboration of the hair structure when there is no oxidase 

 present to cause pigmentation, or when there is an inhibition of pigment 

 formation." 



The chemical group characteristics of the various amino acids were studied 

 by D. D. Van Slyke's method. 



44429°— No. 8—14 2 707 



