EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol . XXIV. Abstract Nuiviber. No. 



RECENT WORK liN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



AGSICITITURALCHEMISTEY— AGEOTECHNY. 



The formation of carbohydrates in the vegetable kingdom, W. McPherson 

 {Science, )i. ser., 33 {1911), No. 839, pi). 131-l/i2). — A summary ami digest of 

 data regarding the formation of carbohydrates from the standpoint of both 

 botany and chemistry. 



The hydrolysis of starch and its products by hydrogen peroxid, Mrs. Z. 

 Gruzewska {Compt. Rend. Soc. Biol. [Paris], 68 {1910), No. 22, pp. 1084- 

 1086). — The hydrolysis of starch can be brought about by hydrogen peroxid at 

 37° C. with the formation of erythrodextrin, achrodextrin, and maltose, but 

 no glucose. Of the 5 polysaccharids treated with hydrogen peroxid 3 yielded 

 dextrin, namely, starch, glycogen, and mannogalactan. Inulin and xylan did 

 not. 



Concerning the basic constituents of bamboo sprouts, G. Totani {Ztschr. 

 Physiol. Chan., 70 {1911), No. 4-5, pp. 3SS-390). — Chohu and betain were iden- 

 tified as present in the juice of fresh bamboo sprouts. 



In regard to the betains occurring in plants, E. Schulze and G. Trier 

 {Ztschr. Physiol. Chem., 67 {1910), No. 1, pp. 46-58; al)s. in ZentU. Biochem. t(. 

 Biophys., 10 {1910), No. 15-16, pp. 690, 691).— After briefly reviewing those 

 plants which contain betain (C5HnN02), trigonellins (C7H7NO2), and stachy- 

 drins (C7H13NO;), the authors state that in all probability these compounds are 

 secondary products of metabolism which enter no further into the physiological 

 processes of the plant. For instance., stachydrin, which is the methyl betain of 

 hygrinic acid, stands in close relation to prolin because the latter on complete 

 methylization of the nitrogen is converted into stachydrin. For preparing the 

 betain the authors utilize mercuric chlorid and phosphotungstic acid as the pre- 

 cipitating agents. The detailed process of separating the various betains is 

 given. 



About the betains occurring in plants, etc., R. Engeland {Ztschr. Physiol. 

 Chem., 67 {1910), No. 4-5, pp. 403, 404; abs. in Zentbl. Biochem. v. Biophys., 

 10 {1910), No. 17-18, p. 780).— A polemical article (see above). 



The formation of 6-gluconic acid by Bacterium savastanoi, C. L. Alsberg 

 {Jour. Biol. Chem., 9 {1911), No. 1, pp. 1-7). — Continuing previous work (E. S. 

 R., 23, p. 611) the author finds that the product formed by B. savastanoi from 

 dextrose is almost entirely S-gluconic acid. This is probably the first record 

 of the production of this acid by a pathogenic organism. The amount of 



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