BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF CREATININE AND CREATINE 



ON GROWTH 1 



J. J. Skinner 



(with ONE figure) 



This paper embodies a series of experiments on the influence of 

 creatinine and creatine on seedling wheat. These experiments 

 were made in an endeavor to throw light on the action of organic 

 manures in soils, and the influence of soil organic matter on pro- 

 ductivity. Creatinine has been discovered as a soil constituent in 

 this laboratory by Dr. E. C. Shore y, 2 and an account of its occur- 

 rence and properties will be given elsewhere. This nitrogenous 

 constituent occurs plentifully in animal products, wine, meat, etc., 

 but has recently been found in these laboratories by Dr. M. X. 

 Sullivan 3 to be a constituent part of many plants and seeds, 

 and to occur in the medium in which plants have grown. The 

 general methods for studying the effect of creatinine on plants in 

 solution cultures is the same as that employed in connection with 

 the harmful soil constituent, dihydroxystearic acid, previously 

 reported in this journal. 4 



Effect of creatinine on growth 



Two sets of cultures, composed of the fertilizer salts calcium acid 

 phosphate, sodium nitrate, and potassium sulphate in varying pro- 

 portions, used singly and in combinations of two and three, were 

 prepared, the proportions varying in 10 per cent stages, thus mak- 

 ing a total of 66 culture solutions according to the plan in the 



1 Published by permission of the Secretary of Agriculture, from the Laboratory 

 of Soil Fertility Investigations. 



2 Shorey, Edmund C, The isolation of creatinine from soils. Jour. Amer. 

 Chem. Soc. 34:99. 191 2. 



3 Sullivan, M. X., The origin of creatinine in soils. Jour. Amer. Chem. 

 Soc. 33*2035. 191 1. 



4 Schreiner, O., and Skinner, J. J., Some effects of a harmful organic soil con- 

 stituent. Bot. Gaz. 50: 161. 1910; Ratio of phosphate, nitrate, and potassium on 

 absorption and growth. Bot. Gaz. 50: 1. 1910. 



Botanical Gazette, vol. 54] l l S 2 



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