36 MANUAL OF CATTLE FEEDING. 



Several other sxibstanees belonging to the same class 

 have also been isolated. Scheibler^' discovered betain 

 (tri-methyl glycocoll) in mangolds, v. Gornp - Desanez -f- 

 f onnd leucin in germinating vetches, Schulze and Urich ^ 

 have shown that glutamin is contained in mangolds, and 

 the same body, along with some tyrosin, was found by 

 Schiilze and Baibieri§ in germinating squash seeds, and it 

 is highly probable that other similar bodies will yet be 

 isolated. 



Functions m the Plant. — The investigations of Pfejffer || 

 on asparagin showed that this body was abundantly formed, 

 during the germination of leguminous plants, by the split- 

 ting up of the protein of the seed, and, after being dissolved 

 in the water always present and thus transferred to the 

 young plant, was reconverted into protein. That is, it 

 served, by virtue of its solubility and diftusibility, to render 

 available to the plant the insoluble albuminoids of the 

 seed. Later researches by E. Sehulze, *j[ and especially by 

 Borodin, ^* seem, however, to show that the foi-mation of 

 asparagin is not limited to germination, but tliat the trans- 

 fer of protein from one part of the plant to aiiother 

 which is continually taking place during growth is also 

 effected by the agency of this and other amides. 



Borodin also believes that asparagin (and other like 

 bodies ?) is being continually produced in the living plant. 

 According to him, the respiration of the plant takes place 



* ZeitscMft Mr Rubenzucker-Industne, XYI , %^, 



fBer. Dmt Ohem. Ges., VIL, 147. 



X Versticlis-Statioiaen, XX , 193. 



§ Landw. Jalarbtcher, VI , 681. 



II Jahrbiicher fur Wiss Botanik, VIIL, 580. 



If Laudw. Jahrbucher, VII ,411. 



** Botanisohe Zeitung, Jabr^^. 36, Nr, 51 and 52. 



