474 ISHIZUKA ; ON NITRATES STORED IN PLANTS. 
I paid also some attention to the products of transformation 
of the nitrates. If all conditions are favourable, then of course 
the nitrates are assimilated in the building up of proteids ; if, 
however, all conditions for this process are not fulfilled other pro¬ 
ducts might be formed and I suspected above all a gradual trans¬ 
formation into asparagine in such cases. To compare the 
amounts of nitrates and asparagine in the roots of Raphanus , 
Brassica and Dancns three determinations were made : first just 
after they had been harvested, then alter being kept for sixty 
days in the dark in moist saw dust at the ordinary temperature, 
and again forty days later. 
Objects. 
Dates of 
In dry matter. 
examination. 
Percentages of 
nitric anhydride. 
Percentages of 
asparagine. 
22 Nov. 
3-25 
4-35 
Raphanus sativus . 
24 Feb. 
2.85 
5.66 
7 Apr. 
2.56 
6.18 
22 Nov. 
O.O48 
5-47 
Douais Carota . 
24 Feb. 
... 
6.44 
7 Apr. 
O.046 
7.41 
Brassica campes tris . 
22 Nov. 
1.16 
6.20 
24 Feb. 
O.90 
io -35 
We here indeed observe a gradual decrease of nitrates 
and increase of asparagine, but the latter increased so much 
more that we must assume the larger portion of the asparagine 
was produced either by decomposition of proteids or by the trans¬ 
formation of other nitrogenous organic compounds. 
