448 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [jUNE 
working with a number of plants in water cultures, have shown that 
glycocoll is generally beneficial. It is pointed out that the process 
of absorption of glycocoll is not connected with the transpirational 
water loss, but with the differential permeability of the absorbing 
root cells, with the efficiency of the nutrient metabolism character- 
istic of the plant, and the amount of water retained within the 
plants. 
Glycocoll (CH,- NH.- COOH) is amidoacetic acid and is one 
of the simpler degradation products found where decomposition is 
occurring. This primary degradation product of protein appears 
in the decomposition of plant remains and exists in considerable 
quantities in the tissue and seed of many plants. It is obtained 
synthetically by chemical processes in a number of ways. 
Methy] glycocoll (CH. - NH - CH; - COOH) differs in its chemical 
structure from glycocoll, not only in that it contains the methyl 
group CH,, but also in that the amido group NH, is thereby 
changed to an imido group NH. Methyl glycocoll, as well as 
glycocoll, is a nitrogen-containing body; 1 it is made synthetically 
and is not a simple protein body. 
Effect of glycocoll 
In this investigation the effect of glycocoll on growth in culture 
solutions was studied by growing wheat seedlings in solutions of 
calcium acid phosphate, sodium nitrate, and potassium sulphate. 
A large number of cultures was used; some consisted of the salts 
used singly, some of combinations of two salts, and others of all 
three salts used in different proportions. The total number of 
combinations used can be obtained from table IV, and from the dis- 
cussion of the other tables. The composition of the solutions is 
given in the respective tables. Each solution was contained in a 
wide-mouth bottle holding 250 cc., and the solution was changed 
every three days, the old being replaced by fresh solution. The 
solutions were prepared by dissolving definite amounts of salts 
in carbon-treated distilled water. Two bottles of each solution 
were prepared, one to serve as a control, while to the other was 
added 50 ppm. of glycocoll. Each culture jar grew 10 wheat seed- 
lings, supported in notched corks. The seedlings were placed in 
