tgt5] SCHREINER & SKINNER—GLYCOCOLL 447 
a weakened plant, the leaves of which break at the stem, wilt, and 
die, the roots remaining unaffected.} This is explainable only 
on the assumption of its absorption by the plant and its action on 
the plant protoplasm. 
The cases cited of the beneficial and harmful action of organic 
compounds, many having specific characteristics, are sufficient to 
show that organic substances, like inorganic poisons, are absorbed 
and react with the protoplasm of the plant. 
The effect of methyl glycocoll on plants has not previously been 
determined. In the early experiments? of this laboratory glycocoll 
was shown to be beneficial to wheat seedlings in distilled water . 
cultures. Concentrations of 1 to 1000 parts per million were used. 
The tops were increased in all the cultures; the roots were slightly 
injured by the higher amounts. 
HANSTEEN® showed that glycocoll was slightly harmful to 
Lemna, and that from it were produced proteins. In Mottiarp’s® 
experiments beneficial results were secured in water cultures 
growing radishes. The experiments of HurcHinson and MILLER’ 
with water cultures were doubtful. One of their pea cultures 
showed that the nitrogen content of the plant was increased by 
the use of glycocoll, although a slight decrease was noticed in 
another culture. 
The experiments of Borowrkow* with Helianthus indicate 
that glycocoll retards growth. DacHNowsKr and GORMLEY,’ 
3 SCHREINER, O., and henge a J. J., The effect of guanidine on plants. Bull. 
Torr. Bot. Club 39: +48 
4 SCHREINER, O., : ., and SKINNER, J. J., Certain organic constituents 
of soils in relation to pe tities Bull. 47. Bur. Soils, U.S. Dept. Agric. 1907. 
5 HANSTEEN, B., Om Aeggehvidesynthese i den gronne phanerogame Plante. 
Vidensk. Skrift. no. BS 1898; Uber Eiweissynthese in griinen Phanerogamen. Jahrb. 
Wiss. Bot. 33:4 17. 1899. 
herches sur le utilization par les_plantes supérieures de 
oc. Bot. France 10:541. 1910 
J., The direct assimilation of inorganic 
Centralbl. Bakt. 30:513. 1911 
Biochem. 
Mottiarp, Ree 
diverses substances Stousdetios azotées 
7 Hutcurinson, H. B., and Miter, N. H. 
and organic forms of nitrogen by higher plants. 
§ Borowrkow, G. A., Uber die Ursachen des Wachstums der Pflanzen. 
Zeitschr. 50:119. 1913. 
° DacHNowskI, A., and Go 
growth of plants in glycocoll solutions. 
RMLEY, R., The physiological water requirements and 
Amer. Jour. Bot. 1:174. 1914. 
