Sept., 1916
T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING C H E M I S T R Y
of t h e distillate after t h e first treatment with t h e sulfuric acid was neutralized with b a r y t a water a n d evaporated t o dryness. T h e residue was heated t o boiling with 80 per cent alcohol, b y which process t h e barium propionate a n d b u t y r a t e were dissolved, leaving t h e barium salts of t h e lower acids which are insoluble. T h e alcoholic solution was evaporated, t h e residue dissolved in water a n d decomposed b y silver sulfate b y boiling. After filtering, t h e silver salts were dissolved in concentrated sulfuric acid which liberated t h e pure propionic a n d butyric acids. T h e y appeared as minute oily drops on t h e sulfuric acid. N o a t t e m p t was made t o separate t h e propionic a n d butyric acids.‘ After testing for t h e volatile acids t h e author continued t h e purification of t h e lactic acid. After t h e volatile organic acids were removed t h e residue contained lactic acid, succinic acid a n d some calcium sulfate which continued t o separate out on concentraThis latter substance w‘s very hard to remove: repeated filtrations, washing regularly t o keep t h e SUCcinic acid in solution, a n d concentrating on t h e water b a t h , were necessary. After all t h e calcium sulfate was the residue was a very dark syrupy liquid (lactic acid a n d charred organic impurities) containing a white, crystalline solid (succinic acid). T h e succinic acid was removed b y filtration with suction, a n d its melting point determined as 183’ C. (very s h a r p ) : a large amount of succinic acid was formed due t o t h e use of a derivative of this acidasparagin-in t h e original culture medium. T h e lactic acid, which still contained a large amount of charred organic m a t t e r , was diluted t o about four times its volume with distilled water a n d purified b y boiling, under a return condenser, with animal charcoal. T h e charcoal a n d its occluded organic compounds were filtered off under suction a n d a clear solution of lactic acid remained. T h e colorless liquid obtained was diluted with distilled water a n d neutralized with zinc carbonate, t h u s : CH,CHOHCOOH ZnCOs = (CH3CHOHC00)zZn C 0 2 HzO T h e zinc lactate obtained was crystallized, washed a n d recrystallized several times t o obtain as pure a salt as possible. T h e zinc was removed b y hydrogen sulfide, filtered o f f , a n d t h e optical properties of t h e lactic acid determined b y means of t h e polariscope. T h e lactic acid obtained from Matzoon proved t o be of t h e usual inactive variety. T h e problem now presented itself t o resolve this acid into its active components. T h e method proposed by Purdie a n d Walker2 was t h e one used: I j o cc. of t h e lactic acid solution were neutralized with strychnine. This required slightly over 28 g. of strychnine. Since strychnine unites with lactic acid i n molecular proportion^,^ there must have been about 8 . 5 g. of pure lactic acid present i n t h e 1 5 0 cc. of t h e diluted acid. T h e liquid was t h e n subjected t o systematic fractional crystallization, t h e crystal-
+
1 2
8
See Fresenius. “Qualitative Analysis,” p. 419. J . Chem. SOC.,6 1 , 754. Ibid.
+
+
823
line solid in each case being separated as far as possible b y t h e aid of suction a n d recrystallization being carried out in a vacuum desiccator. After several successive crystallizations t h e less soluble crystals were dissolved in water &ndt h e strychnine was precipitated by t h e addition of ammonium hydroxide. T h e filtrate was evaporated and a slight excess of ammonium hydroxide added t o completely precipitate t h e strychnine. After again filtering t h e solution, it was tested in t h e polariscope in a 2 2 0 mm. tube. It gave a rotation of $ 0 . 9 ’ . T h e mother liquor was t h e n treated in t h e same way with ammonium hydroxide, filtered a n d tested. It gave a rotation of - 0 . go. I n this way it was proved t h a t lactic acid obtained from Matzoon was capable of being resolved into its active components. coKcLusIoKs
I--Matzoon, an Armenian lactic acid food, its peculiar properties to the Bulgarian bacillus together with StreptococczlsLebe%is and Saccharonzyces 11-Fermentation lactic acid may be separated and purified by the method described in this paper. III-The acid produced by l[atzoon in a synthetic culture medium is optically inactive; but this inactive acid is capable of being resolved into active components. LEHIGHUNIVERSITY SoUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA
PLANT FOOD DEFICIENCIES OF COASTAL PLAIN AND PIEDMONT SOILS1 By C. B. WILLIAMS Received May 1. 1916
I n approaching t h e solution of this kind of a problem €or a n y section, it is necessary t o conduct experimental field work on t h e soils of known types which occur in t h e area a n d which are important ones agriculturally in t h e sections. These facts may be determined b y a soil survey which h a d best precede, if possible, t h e taking u p of field studies t o determine t h e plant food deficiencies of soils of t h e section. After t h e mapping has been finished in t h e soil survey, a trained a n d experienced man is sent over t h e area t o draw representative samples of soil and subsoil for analyses from each t y p e occurring in t h e area. These are sent t o t h e chemical laboratory for a determination of t h e total amount of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash present. WHAT CHEMICAL ANALYSES W I L L SHOW
From such a n examination i t will be possible t o calculate t h e total amounts of these plant food constituents actually present i n t h e soil, b u t i t will not be possible from such a n examination t o determine t h e availability of these for plant growth. This can be satisfactorily done only b y well planned a n d carefully conducted fertilizer experiments with different crops on each t y p e of soil, a n d carried on a sufficient length of time t o eliminate seasonal a n d other factors t h a t might occur t o interfere with a fair deduc1 Presented a t the 52nd Meeting of the American Chemicnl Society, Urbana-Champaign, Ill., April 1 7 to 21, 1916.
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T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D C S T R I A L A N D ENGILVEERING C H E M I S T R Y
tion from one or two years' results. Below are tabulated t h e average amounts of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash contained in t h e leading types of soil occurring in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions in which field work has been conducted. I n the Coastal Plain, the Norfolk series embraces decidedly t h e most important soils of t h e whole South Atlantic States, while in the Piedmont section t h e Cecil series occupies the greatest area and are the soils of the greatest importance agriculturally. The d a t a show very strikingly t h a t t h e total amounts of phosphoric acid a n d nitrogen present in all the different types of soil on which t h e experimental fields are located are each much smaller t h a n is the amount of potash. From these facts alone. with reference t o the different types under consideration. t h e only inferences t h a t could safely be made would be t h a t potentially most of the soils are fairly well supplied with potash, b u t t h a t the amounts of phosphoric acid and nitrogen, one or t h e other, or both, are a t present. or soon will be, limiting factors in the production of large crops. LBS. PLANTFOOD I N SURFACE 6 * / 3 I N O F SOIL PER A C R E O F SOME OF THF LEADINGSOILS I F TIIE COASTAL PLAIN A N D PIEDMOXTREGIONS Type and Location Experimental of Soil i\T PzOj Kz0 Field COASTAI. P L A I U 590 705 1 Pantego Portsmouth-F&SHndy Loam. 1660 5 5 5 28884 Edenton Portsmouth Silt L o a m . . , . , . . . 1131 298 1978 Greenville Norfolk S a n d . . , , , . . , . . . , , , . , 1275 912 546 8873 Edgecombe Norfolk Fine Sandy L o a m . . . . 639 1439 4552 Goldsboro Norfolk Sandv L o a m . . . . . . . . . PIEDMONT Cecil Clay.. . , . . . . , , . . . . . , . . . 1285 1430 17743 Charlotte No. I Cecil Sandy L o a m . , . , , . . . . , . . 801 571 49260 Gastonia 865 1512 27702 Charlotte No. 2 Cecil L o a m . . , . . . , , , , , . . . , . . . 909 2238 4247 Iredell Iredell L o a m . . . , . , , , , , . , . , . , .
AVERAGE
The economical increase of t h e nitrogen supply of all these soils for t h e production of general crops like corn. cotton,, or oats will have t o be brought about largely b y t h e growing of leguminous crops in rotation with these and possibly other general field crops and turning a part of these into the soil for soil improvement. By this means, not only can the nitrogen supply of t h e soil be kept up, wholly or largely, b u t t h e soils d l be kept in good physical condition by the organic matter turned into them. I t will probably be necessary, with many of our soils, where this practice is followed, t o add lime in fairly liberal amounts a t intervals of 4 to 6 years. On t h e other hand, in t h e case of phosphoric acid, its supply for plant growth will have t o be kept up i n most cases b y additions of some material carrying the plant food constituent in more or less readily available form ( e . g., acid phosphate, basic slag, phosphate rock or ground bone) if large crops are expected t o be produced. I n some of the leading types of soil occurring in t h e South t h e total amount of phosphoric acid is very low. Potentially soils of the Iredell and Houston series are some of our richest in phosphoric acid supply. This has been brought out both b y chemical examination and b y field experiments. TYHAT F E R T I L I Z E R E X P E R I Y E h - T S IN F I E L D S H O W
For the Coastal Plain section and t h e Piedmont section t h e following general deductions which will have wide application throughout the Southern States, may be made from d a t a obtained in field experiments :
Vol. 8, No. 9
COASTAL PLAIN soILs--With Povtsmoufk $ne s a d y l o a m the chief deficiency is generally for nitrogen in available form. Xext in importance t o be supplied are lime and phosphoric acid. For the Portsmouth silt loam type, plant food constituents producing the greatest returns when added t o the soil are phosphoric acid, nitrogen and lime in the order given. For t h e N o r f o l k s a n d t y p e of soil, the chief deficiencies are shown by our results t o be jirst, nitrogen; secoiad, lime; and third, potash. For t h e N o r f o l k j i a e s a n d y l o a m the main deficiencies of the soil have shown up t o be jirst, nitrogen; s e c o n d , potash; and third. phosphoric acid and lime. This t y p e of soil is one of t h e largest in extent and importance of all the Coastal Plain soils. Field observation on the Norfolk sandy loam soil has shown t h a t the chief plant food requirements are for nitrogen, lime and potash in the order given. Phosphoric acid, when used, seems t o have on an average caused a decrease in yield of all the crops except in t h e case of cotton. Ordinarily with all the Norfolk series of soils of the Coastal Plain Region, phosphoric acid and potash give little or no increase in crop yields until nitrogen has been added t o the soil. P I E D M O N T som-The chief deficiencies of the Cecil C l a y type of soil have been shown by the field results t o be nitrogen, lime and phosphoric acid. The chief plant food requirements of t h e Isedell L o a m t y p e of soil have been shown t o be j i r s t , nitrogen decidedly; and secofzd, potash. On an average, phosphoric acid has seemed t o decrease rather t h a n prove beneficial when applied t o this type of soil. Xitrogen, phosphoric acid and lime have been shown t o be t h e chief requirements of the Cecil S a n d y L o a m of this field. I n the production of grain and seed cotton on average Cecil Loan5 soil, phosphoric acid was found t o be the chief deficiency while applications of nitrogen gave t h e greatest response when hays were grown. Practically no grains on an average were secured from the use of lime and potash, except in the case of lime. in the growing of oats for hay, and in t h e case of potash in growing red clover for hay. Taking the results as a whole for t h e leading soils of both t h e Coastal Plain and Piedmont sections, which no doubt have wide application t o soils throughout t h e South iltlantic States, it will be seen t h a t t h e chief needs for plant growth in the Coastal Plain Region are generally, jirst, for nitrogen, and s e c o z d , for potash and lime. Those soils of chief importance and extent in the Piedmont Region shon- a lack J r s t , for phosphoric acid and second, for nitrogen. Without t h e addition of these deficient plant food constituents, i t will be impossible t o grow large crops for a n y great length of time, for, with most of the types of soil of these two regions of the South, the growth of 2 j o o - t o 3100-bu. crops of corn would require an amount of phosphoric acid and nitrogen equal t o t h e total amount of these two constituents contained in most of t h e Coastal Plain and Piedmont soils. NORTHCAROLINA EXPERIMENT STATION
WESTRALEIGH
