RECENT WORK IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



CHEMISTEY. 



Nitrogen in protein bodies, T. B. Osborne and I. F. Harris {Jour. Amer. Chem. 

 Soc, 25 {1903), No. 4, PJi- 323-353). — In studying the decomposition products of vari- 

 ous i;)rotein preparations the authors have obtained fairly uniform resuhs with Haus- 

 mann's method, which consists in Iwiling the sample with strong hydrochloric acid 

 and then determining the nitrogen expelled in the form of ammonia by distillation 

 with magnesia, the nitrogen i^recipitated by phosphotungstic acid from the ammonia- 

 free solution, and the nitrogen in the filtrate from the phosphotungstic acid precipi- 

 tate. Tests were made of the method, and under the conditions in which it was used 

 by the authors it is believed to yield valuable comparative results. It has been found 

 that preparations obtained from different sources and jireviously l)elieved to be the 

 same substance have yielded l)y this method such different proportions of nitro- 

 gen in the several groups as to show 1)eyond doubt that they are entirely distinct; 

 and, on the other hand, confirmatory evidence has been obtained on the identity of 

 other preparations of different origin. The following table indicates the source of the 

 different proteins and summarizes some of the analytical data: 



Nitrogen in various protein bodies. 



Name and source of protein. 



Globulin (wheat) 



Globulin (cot'oanut) 



Globulin (squash seed) 



Edestin (hemp seed) 



Excelsin (Brazil nut) 



Corjiin (hazel nut) 



Globulin (cotton seed) 



Globulin (castor bean) 



Corylin ( walnut) 



Conglutin (lupin) 



Legumin (pea, lentil, horse bean, vetch) 



Qlolinlin (flax seed) 



Vit'ilin (jiea, lentil, horse bean) 



Nu('lef)Vi tellin ( egg yolk) 



Vigiiin (cowpea) 



Globulin (sunflower) 



Conalbumin (egg white) 



Amandin (almond) 



Phaseolin (kidney bean, adzuki bean) 



Glycinin (soy bean) 



Legumelin (pea, lentil, horse bean, adzuki 



bean) 



Leucosin (wheat) 



Casein (cow's milk) 



Ovalbumin (egg white) 



Glutenin (wheat gluten) 



Gliadiu ( wheat, rye) 



Hordein (barley )". , 



Zein (corn) 



Nitrogen as 

 ammonia. 



Per cent. 

 1.42 

 1.36 

 1.28 

 1.88 

 1.48 

 2. 20 

 1.92 

 1.96 

 1.78 

 2. 12 

 2. 65 

 1.69 

 2.00 

 1.78 

 1. 25 

 1.91 

 2.57 

 1.21 

 3.05 

 1.74 

 2.11 



1.04 

 1. 16 

 1.61 

 1.34 

 3.30 

 4.20 

 4.01 

 2.97 



Basic 

 nitrogen. 



Per cent. 

 6.83 

 6. 06 

 5.97 

 5.91 

 5.76 

 5.75 

 5.71 

 5.64 

 5.41 

 5.20 

 5. 13 

 5.18 

 4.77 

 4. 75 

 4. 65 

 4.28 

 4.27 

 4.16 

 4. 15 

 3.97 

 3. 95 



3.71 



3.50 



3.49 



3.30 



2. 05 



.98 



.77 



.49 



Non-ba.sic 

 nitrogen. 



Per cent. 

 9.82 

 10.92 

 11.04 

 10.78 

 10.97 

 10.70 

 11.01 

 11.00 

 11.51 

 10.38. 

 10.30 

 10. 92 

 11.47 

 10.37 

 10. 16 

 10. 81 

 11.52 

 10.49 

 11.55 

 10.18 

 11.27 



10.96 

 11.83 

 10. 31 

 10. 58 

 11.95 

 12. 41 

 12. 04 

 12. 51 



Nitrogen in 



magne- 

 sium oxid 

 precipitate. 



Per cent. 

 0.28 

 .14 

 .22 

 .12 

 .17 

 .16 



Total 

 nitrogen. 



Per cent. 

 18.39 

 18.48 

 18.51 

 18.64 

 18.30 

 19.00 

 18.64 

 18. 75 

 18.84 

 17.90 

 18.21 

 17.97 

 18.48 

 17.11 

 16.28 

 17.26 

 18.58 

 16.11 

 19.00 



16. 20 

 17.45 



16.09 

 16.93 

 15.62 

 15.51 

 17.49 

 17.66 



17. 21 

 16.13 



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