AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY AGROTECHNY. 803 



About the formation of betain in animals and plants, Ackermann (Abs. in 

 Berlin. Klin. Wchnschr., 50 {1013), No. 26, p. 1235). — This is a study in regard 

 to the method wherebj- betain is ehiborated in the organism. Initial experi- 

 ments w€^re made with dogs and glycocoU but the results were negative. Sugar 

 beets kept for six weelcs in water cultures containing glycocoll showed no 

 greater content of betain tlian beets grown in a medium free from glycocoll. 

 On the other hand if /3-]iyridlncarboxylic jicid, i. e., nicotinic acid, is given to 

 plants or animals, a synthesis seems to take place. 



Crystallized polysaccharids from starch, II. Pringsup:im and A. Langhans 

 {Ber. Dcitt. Clicm. acscU., J,5 (1912), No. 12, pp. 2533-25Jf6; ahs. in Jour. Chcm. 

 8oc. [London], 102 (1912), No. 601, I, pp. 832, 855).— "The generic term 

 'amylose' is suggested for the polysaccharids of the formula (C»IIioOo)n. 

 Dextrin-/3, which decomposes at 268° C, is too sparingly soluble in water for 

 accurate cryoscopy, but dextrin-a (tetra-amylose), decomposing at 202°, proves 

 to have a molecular weight (C6Hie05)4. Both forms are acetylated by acetic 

 anhydrid in the presence of zinc chlorid, but scission of the molecules occurs at 

 the same time; dextrin-a yields the hexa-acetate of a diamylose, needles, decom- 

 posing at 151.5 to 152.5° (correction [a]Z)"+l(X).6° in acetic acid), while dex- 

 trin-/3 gives the mona-acetate of a triamylose, tablets, decomposing at 142° (cor- 

 rection [a]^*D+112.6° in acetic acid). Hydrolysis of these acetates by cold 

 alcoholic potassium hydroxid produces respectively diamylose (C6llio06) (decom- 

 posing at about 300°, [a]^*Z)+l,3G.2° in water), which crystallizes from water 

 in needles with 2II2O, and triamylose, (C«Hio06)8, needles, crystallizing with 

 4HjO, decomposing near 300° ; [rt]^Z) +151.8° in water. Crystallographic de- 

 tails of the above amyloses are given." 



Crystallization of cream of tartar in the fruit of grapes, W. B. Alwood 

 (U. 8. Dcpt. Agr., Jour. Agr. Research, 1 (lOlJf), No. 6, pp. 513, 5i^).— During 

 a chemical examination made of the ripening fruit of grapes the analytical 

 results were so affected as to lead to the belief that a deposition of the acid 

 salt of bitartrate of potassium took place. An examination of the fruit grown 

 at Charlottesville, Va., and Sandusky, Ohio, showed minute crystals, varying in 

 size and shape, lying in the soft cells just beneath the skin of the fruit. They 

 were not present ajt any time in the pulp or in the compact portion of the flesh 

 in which the seeds are contained. 



The fact that many of the crystals found did not conform in type to crystals 

 of the bitartrate prepared from pure cream of tartar made it doubtful as to 

 whether potassium bitartrate was deposited or not Analyses of 1912 and 1913 

 grapes of the Concord, Catawba, Niagara, Delaware, and Norton varieties, how- 

 ever, showed that while the juice pressed from the hulls was very low in tartaric 

 acid and salts, the organic matter remaining in the hulls after pressure, al- 

 though less than half as acid as the pulp, is rich in tartaric acid and cream of 

 tartar, in these regards nearly equaling the percentage found in the juicy pulp. 

 The results made it obvious that the hulls, if pressed drcv, would still retain 

 the crystals mentioned and their presence was actually demonstrated with the 

 microscope. 



Further details of the investigation will be reported upon later. 



The seeds and seed oil of bilberries and cranberries, A. Diedrichs (Ztschr. 

 Untersuch. Xahr. u. GciiussnitL, 2Jf (1912), No. 9, pp. 575^80). — The weight of 

 1,000 cleaned seeds from the bilberry (Vacciniuni mtntiUua) is on the average 

 275 mg. The chemical composition of the seed calculated to dry substance was 

 as follows : Protein 19.16 per cent, ether extract 33.25, crude fiber and nitrogen- 

 free extract 45.81, and ash 1.78 per cent. 



The oil extracted from the seeds was fluid at ordinary temperatures, was of 

 a slight greenish-yellow color, and it had a pleasant taste. After standing 



