Am.  Jour.  Pharrn.") 
January,  1896.  J 
The  Nutrition  of  Plants. 
4i 
were  renewed  at  once.  When  the  hypocotylous  part  of  the  stem 
liad  reached  about  30  cm.  in  length,  growth  seemed  to  stop  in  it, 
while  the  growth  of  the  shoots  above  the  cotyledons  was  now  more 
marked  than  before.  It  may  be  mentioned  that  most  of  the  leaves 
of  the  shoots  cultivated  in  glycerin  solution  were  somewhat  larger 
than  those  grown  in  methyl  alcohol.  Microscopical  examination 
exhibited  now  a  very  great  difference  between  the  amount  of  aspar- 
agine  present  in  the  control  shoots,  and  that  present  in  the  other 
cases.  Direct  tests  for  the  presence  of  dissolved  reserve  albumin, 
made  upon  an  aqueous  extract  by  addition  to  it  of  nitric  acid, 
showed  that  there  was  none  present  in  the  shoots  cultivated  in  sugar 
and  glycerin.  We  see,  therefore,  that  the  decrease  of  asparagine  is 
coincident  with  an  increase  of  the  dissolved  proteids.  Microscopical 
te3ts  made  it  further  highly  probable  that  the  amount  of  other 
amido-products  was  continuously  decreasing,  while  tests  for  sugar 
with  Fehling's  solution  revealed  its  presence  in  the  shoots  grown  in 
glycerin,  but  neither  in  those  grown  in  methyl  alcohol  nor  in  the 
control  case. 
Soon  afterwards,  on  April  27th,  a  final  measurement  of  dimensions 
and  a  quantitative  determination  of  asparagine  were  made.  The 
stem,  without  the  hypocotylous  part,  had  a  length  of  4-14  cm.,  in 
the  control  case  No.  2;  a  length  of  u-icjcm.  in  glycerin,  and  of 
£-19  cm.  in  methyl  alcohol. 
The  quantity  of  asparagine  was  as  follows  : 
Date  of 
Determination. 
Control  shoots,  No.  1,  April  1st  . 
Control  shoots,  No.  2.  April  27th  . 
Control  shoots,  No.  3,  April  27th  . 
Shoots  in  methyl  alcohol,  April  27th 
Shoots  in  glycerin,1  April  2.7th  . 
Dry  Matter 
in  Grammes. 
Asparagine 
in  Grammes. 
Asparagine 
Per  Cent,  in 
Dry  Matter. 
•  3*966 
0-853 
21-5 
.  2-948 
0-847 
28-7 
•  3'6n 
0*906 
24*0 
1  .  2-698 
0512 
18-9 
•  4'590 
0629 
137 
1  For  determining  the  amount  of  asparagine  in  those  shoots  which  had  been  kept  in  the 
dilute  glucose  solution,  the  material  was  not  sufficient,  but  I  microscopically  examined  the 
shoots  for  asparagine  on  May  8th  (when  some  of  the  leaves  showed  brownish  spots,  indica- 
ting a  gradual  decay),  and  found  a  not  inconsiderable  amount  of  it  still  present.  I  do  not 
doubt  that  if  we  could  introduce  more  concentrated  sugar  solution  into  the  cells  of  the  shoots 
the  shoots  would  continue  to  grow  in  the  dark  until  all  the  asparagine  had  been  transformed 
into  proteids  or  protoplasm,  provided  the  necessary  mineral  salts  had  been  also  introduced. 
The  determination  of  asparagine  in  the  control  shoot  No.  I,  was 
made  after  the  removal  of  the  cotyledons  (April  1st),  when  the 
experiment  proper  commenced.    If  we  compare  this  result  with 
