972 REPORT—1885. 
separated gramineous herbage; and that, with the much higher percentage of 
nitrogen in the leguminous herbage, there was also a much higher proportion of 
chlorophyll. Under comparable conditions, however, the Leguminose eventually 
maintain a much higher relation of nitrogen to carbon than the Graminez, in other 
words, in their case carbon is not assimilated in so large a proportion to the 
nitrogen taken up. 
Next, it is to be observed that the wheat plants manured with ammonium salts 
alone show a much higher percentage of nitrogen than those manured with the 
same amount of ammonium salts, but with mineral manure in addition. The high 
proportion of chlorophyll again goes with the high nitrogen percentage; but the 
last column of the table shows that, with the ammonium salts without mineral 
manure with the high percentage of nitrogen, and the high proportion of chloro- 
phyll, in the dry substance of the green produce, there is eventually a very much 
less assimilation of carbon, The result is exactly similar in the case of the barley. 
The plants manured with ammonium salts alone showing the higher percentage of 
nitrogen, and the higher proportion of chlorophyll, but eventually a much lower 
assimilation of carbon. 
It is evident that the chlorophyll formation has a close connection with the 
amount of nitrogen assimilated, by that the carbon assimilation is not in pro- 
portion to the chlorophyll formed, if there be not a sufficiency of the necessary 
mineral constituents available. No doubt there had been as much, or more, of both 
nitrogen assimilated, and chlorophyll formed, over a given area, where the mineral 
as well as the nitrogenous manure had been applied, the lower proportion of both 
in the dry matter being due to the greater assimilation of carbon and consequent 
greater formation of non-nitrogenous substances. 
It is of interest to observe, that these results of experiments in the field are 
perfectly consistent with those obtained by vegetable physiologists in the laboratory ; 
they having found that the presence of certain mineral or ash-constituents, and 
especially that of potassium, is essential for the assimilation of carbon, no starch 
being formed in the grains of chlorophyll without the aid of that substance. Sachs 
says, ‘ Potassium is as essential for the assimilating activity of chlorophyll as iron 
for its production.’ 
7. A Plea for the Empiric Naming of Organic Compounds. 
By Professor Opuine, F.R.S. 
8. On the Action of Sodium Alcoholates on Fumaric and Maleic Ethers.! 
By Professor Purvis, Ph.D., B.Sc. 
In a previous research (‘ Chem. Soc. Journ.,’ 1881) the author has shown that by 
the action of sodium alcoholates in alcoholic solution on the ethereal salts of fumaric 
acid, products are obtained which by saponification yield alkyloxysuccinic acids ; 
thus ethoxysuccinic and butoxysuccinic acids were prepared by the action re- 
spectively of a solution of sodium ethylate on ethylic fumarate, and of sodium 
butylate on butylic fumarate. The object of the present investigation is to elucidate 
the nature of the chemical reactions concerned in the change, and to compare the 
etheric acids obtained from fumaric acid with the corresponding additive products 
procured by similar methods from maleic acid. 
Action of sodium methylate on ethylic fumarate.—When a solution of sodium 
methylate in methylic alcohol is added to ethylic fumarate, the first product 
of the action is methylic fumarate, which, however, is quickly converted into 
methylic methoxysuccinate, an oil boiling about 220° C., not without some 
decomposition, The sodium methylate used converts much more than its 
molecular proportion of fumaric ether into the addition compound, and it appears 
that an intermediate compound, a methylic methoxysodosuccinate, is formed, 
which, however, is continuously decomposed in the presence of alcohol, exchanging 
1 Jour. Chem. Soc., 1885, 855. 
