ORGANIC CONSTITUENTS OF PACIFIC COAST KELPS 



By D. R. HOAGLAND, 



Assistant Chemist, Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of California 

 INTRODUCTION AND PLAN OF WORK 



The giant kelps of the Pacific coast have been regarded during recent 

 years as commercially profitable sources of potash and iodin. The high 

 content of these constituents in the kelp was first given prominence by 

 Balch (i)/ and later the Bureau of Soils of the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture (4) made further studies and mapped out many of 

 the beds. These investigations were followed by a widespread interest in 

 kelps and it was the prevailing idea that these plants would furnish the raw 

 material for industries of considerable magnitude. It seemed, however, 

 that such predictions required further verification through more extended 

 chemical studies than were available, since in many directions exact in- 

 formation was entirely lacking. Accordingly the Chemical Laboratory of 

 the California Experiment Station during the past year has carried on a 

 general investigation of the subject the principal results of which are 

 discussed in publications of this Station by Burd (3) and Stewart (32). 



While the potash and iodin values have, as a matter of course, received 

 first attention in all discussions of a kelp industry, it has been apparent 

 that any commercially valuable by-products of an organic nature would 

 greatly enhance the possibilities of utilizing kelp with a margin of profit. 

 Practically no studies of the organic constituents of the California kelps 

 have been made prior to the writer's, and it is with this aspect of the 

 investigations that the present paper deals.^ It is not the intention to 

 regard the experiments herein described as forming in any sense a com- 

 plete and final study of the numerous questions involved. The composi- 

 tion and chemical physiology of these marine algae are in many respects 

 unique. There are obviously infinite possibilities for studies of great 

 scientific interest along these lines. If opportunity is afforded, more 

 detailed experiments in regard to the nature of certain interesting con- 

 stituents of the kelp will be conducted in this laboratory. It is, however, 

 deemed advisable to present such results and conclusions as are now at 

 hand, owing to the considerable interest recently manifested in this 

 subject. 



The conceivable uses for the organic matter of kelp which have most 

 frequently been mentioned include destructive distillation, feeding of 



* Reference is made by number to "Literature cited, " p. 56-58. 



2 Acknowledgment is made to Mr. W. H. Dore, of the Chemical Laboratory of the California Experiment 

 Station, for muPh assistance in the analytical work and suggestions as to methods. 



Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. IV, No. i 



Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. Apr. 15, 1915 



Cal.— 2 

 (39) 



