THE NITEOGEN OF PROCESSED FEETILIZEES. 
19 
isolation methods are as follows : The process by which the nitrogen 
of certain trade wastes, such as hair, leather, garbage, etc., is made 
more available, is recognized as a process of partial hydrolysis of the 
complex protein contained in such materials, resulting in ammonia^ 
amino acids, etc., all of which are more available than the original 
protein material. This hydrolysis is almost complete, the nitrogenous 
compounds formed being principally the primary products of protein 
hydrolysis, together with a small amount of proteoselike compound 
which has not been fully decomposed. 
Table YI. — Products of acid hydrolysis of various 'proteins. 
Compound. 
"Synotin" 
"from 
cattle 
flosh.i 
"Keratin" 
from 
sheep's 
horh.2 
"Keratin" 
from 
sheen's 
WOOl.3 
"Keratin" 
from 
horse's 
hair." 
HaUbut 
muscle. 5 
Ox 
muscle.6 
'/Lep- 
irjLn"frora 
pea.7 
Glycine s. . . 
0.5 
4.0 
.9 
7.8 
o.» 
l.G 
4.5 
15.3 
0.6 
4.4 
2.8 
11.5 
4.7 
1.5 
,9 
7.1 
0.0 
10.4 
2.1 
3.7 
.8 
11.7 
4 
Alanine s 
2 1 
Valine 
Le :cine » 
8 
Isoleucine 
Phenylalanine » 
2.5 
2.2 
1.9 
3.6 
1.1 
7.5 
3.7 
.0 
3.2 
.6 
8.0 
3.4 
3.1 
2.4 
(?) 
3.2 
2.2 
(?) 
3.8 
Tyrosines 
2.9 
.1 
7.3 
4.4 
1.6 
Serine 
^ 
Cystine 
ProUne 
3.3 
3.2 
5.8 
3 2 
OxyproUne. 
A spar tic acid s 
Glutauac acid s 
Tryptophane 
.5 
13.6 
2.5 
17.2 
2.3 
12.9 
.3 
3.7 
2.8 
10.1 
7.5 
4.52 
15.5 
7.5 
7.6 
1.8 
1.1 
5.3 
17.0 
( + ) 
11.7 
Arginine ^ 
5.1 
3.3 
2.7 
.9 
2.7 
.2 
4.5 
1.1 
Lysines 
5.0 
Kistidines 
.6 2. fi 
1.7 
Ammonia ^ . 
1.4 
2.1 
Total. 
47.3 
62.3 
49.2 
30.6 
50.7 
07.5 
02. 4 
1 E. Abderhalden and T. Saski, Zelt. physiol. Chem., 51, 404 (1907). 
12 3, E. Abderhalden and A. Voitinovici, ibid., 52, 348 (1907). 
* E. Abderhalden and H. G. WeUs. ibid., 46, 31 (1905); A. Argiris, ibid., 54, 86 (1905). 
6 T. B. Osborne and F. W. Heyl, Amer. J. Physiol., 22, 433 (1908). 
6 T. B. Osborne and D. B. Jones, ibid., 24, 437 (1909). 
T T. B. Osborne and F. W. Heyl, J. Biol. Chem., 5, 197 (1908), 
8 Physiological action on plant growth has been determined and reported in Bui. 87, Bureau of Soils. 
U. S. Dept. Agr. 
AVAILABILITY OF THE NITROGEN OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS. 
The question of the availabiUty of the different kind of nitrogen 
contained in organic fertihzers is one that has caused considerable 
discussion. A number of methods have been proposed for determining 
this factor, and while some of them give helpful results, all excepting 
the plant method are open to more or less objection. The reason for 
this is that the methods are empirical and the nature of the compli- 
cated compounds in which the nitrogen is linked in the fertilizer is 
unknown or only guessed. When these nitrogen compounds are 
known and their action on plants as well as the action of the com- 
pounds which will be formed from them during their decompo- 
sition in the soil, has been determined, then the question of the 
availabiUty of the nitrogen of organic fertihzers can be understood. 
Originally it was held that plants were only able to use nitrogen when 
