CAN OLD LEAVES OF PLANTS PRODUCE ASPARAGINE. 459 
Fresh leaves. 
Asparagine nitrogen. 0-037 
Amido-nitrogen except asp. nitrogen. 0.015 
Starved leaves. 
O.206 
0-455 
In 100 parts of total nitrogen. 
Fresh leaves. 
Protein nitrogen. 96.19 
Asparagine nitrogen. 2.71 
Amido-nitrogen except asp. nitrogen. 1.10 
Starved leaves. 
54-79 
14.O9 
31.12 
We observe, therefore, the proportion between asparagine 
nitrogen in fresh leaves and that in starved leaves is 1 : 5.2. (1) 
The second experiment was made with tea leaves. 
On the 19th October I collected old leaves of Thea chinensis 
for the determination of total nitrogen, protein nitrogen, and as¬ 
paragine nitrogen. At the same time numerous small branches 
(about 10 cm. long), taken from the same individual plant, were 
placed in a large vessel containing some fresh water, which was 
placed in the dark for 24 days (2) (Oct. 19th to Nov. 12th). All 
the young leaves had been first removed. While the branches 
were kept in darkness, the water in the vessel was renewed 
several times. 
Microscopical examination repeatedly made, revealed, as 
usual, the gradual disappearance of the starch granules and the 
decrease of active albumin, which was present in large quantity 
at the beginning. Soluble passive albumin was not present at 
all, as the test of the cold aqueous extract with nitric acid showed. 
Since some leaves commenced to show brown spots, on the 
12th November and further exposure was likely to end soon in the 
death of all the leaves, I dried the still healthy ones, and sub¬ 
jected them to the same examination as the control leaves at the 
beginning. 
(1) Young leaves of this plant, collected in May, contained according to Daikuhara 
(Bull. Coll, of Agr. II. No. 2) 2.222% total nitrogen, and 2.648% alter 25 days’ starvation 
by being kept at 25 0 —30°C in darkness in a covered glass vessel containing some water, 
hence the loss by respiration amounts to 16.09% in 25 days which when calculated to 15 
days become 9.65%. The intensity of respiration in these young leaves was therefore 
about one and half times as much as in the old leaves. The asparagine nitrogen was 
there at the beginning 9.86% of the total nitrogen ; after 25 days, however, it became 
45.73%. The proportion between asparagine nitrogen in fresh leaves and in starved 
leaves was there 1:46. 
(2) '1 he mean temperature was i3.3i p C, the maximum 23.7.C. and the minimum 
3-2°C. 
