KEPOTIT OF THE CHEMIST. 



107 



the grass after extraction with ether, alcohol, water, acid, and alkali, 

 and may be somewhat larger than the amount of cellulose obtained by 

 the more severe treatpient with hypochlorite solution. As most deter- 

 minations of fiber are now made in this manner in fodder analysis, it 

 seemed desirable to conform to common usage in this respect, especially 

 as the German hay analyses show a much higher percentage of fiber 

 than ours, which might have been owing to severer treatment in our 

 methods of working. 



As has been the custom the nitrogen obtained by combustion with 

 soda lime has been multiplied by the factor C.25 and the product stated 

 as albumen. 



The error of this method of procedure is universally acknowledged, 

 it being well known that this factor does not represent the per cent, of 

 nitrogen present in the nitrogenous constituents of plants, but only that 

 of pure albumen. 



Experiments during the past few years have shown that this is 

 not only the case, but that in addition there are present in most plants, 

 bodies containing nitrogen in a smaller proportion than the albuminoids 

 and possessing a greater solubility, which are called amides and amido 

 acids. What their value is as nutrients is not known for lack of experi- 

 mental evidence. By some they are regarded as of equal value with the 

 albuminoids, by others as of little use. An investigation is at present 

 going forward with a view to the separation and examination of this 

 soluable nitrogenous compound, the results of which must be reserved 

 for a subsequent report. 



Whatever the truth may be, it is evident that their presence is of im- 

 portance in one way or another to the analyst and the farmer, and that 

 some determination of their amount must be attempted in order not to 

 include all the nitrogen found in a plant under the head '' albuminoids," 

 where it does not rightly belong. 



EXPLANATION OF TABLE II. 



As it was found that the SO per cent, alcohol extract contained large 

 amounts of nitrogen, which, if neglected, would cause the same substance 

 to enter twice into the analysis, once as a^lbuminoids and again in the sugar 

 extract, making both of these divisions larger than they naturally would 

 be, the amount of nitrogen remaining in the residue after extraction 

 with alcohol w^as determined in all the i^lants under examination. The 

 difference between this figure and that found for total nitrogen in the 

 original plant of course represents the amount soluble in alcohol. That 

 no further amount of nitrogen was extracted by water was proved by 

 the following experiments : 



Number. 



«3 Hay 



85 ...do 



87 ...do 



Nitrogen coBtained after extraction with — 



Alcohol, 

 80 per cent. 



1.46 

 1.20 

 1.23 



Water. 



1.43 

 1.20 

 1,20 



The nitrogen extracted by 80 per cent, alcohol, after 14 hours' treat- 

 ment, has been stated as soluble nitrogen, and consists probably of 

 amide.s and amido acids to a hii-ge extent." At least albuminoid reagents 

 produced only slight preci pittites, exce]it in one or two of the cases where 

 the soluble rose to GO per cent, of the total nitrogen. 



