139-313-5111

TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS

BULLETIN NO. 155 JANUARY, 1913

 

DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY

TECHNICAL BULLETIN

THE ETHER EXTRACT AND THE CIILORO-
FORM EXTRACT OF SOILS

BY

G. S. FRAPS and J. B. RATHER

 

POSTOFFICE
COLLEGE STATION, BRAZOS COUNTY, TEXAS

Von BOECKMANN-JONES C0., Pnuwwans
AUSTIN. TEXAS
1913

'l‘l€XA.\' A(illl('l‘ljl‘I'llAl. liXl’lilll.\lli.\"l‘ S'l‘A'l‘l()l\U<.
UOVICRXIXG noalu).
(Board of Directors, A, and M. College.)

Ii. B. ('l"s|11.\'<:, President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Houston

Joux l. Griox. Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Ba-llinger

l1. J. HART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..San Antonio

.l. ALIA-IX KYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Houston

\/\~',xi.'r<>.\' l’1c'ri~:i:'i‘ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..l<‘ort Worth

l-K. L. Brzxxrrwr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Paris

En l-l. Koxlc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Austin

E. H, As'r|.\' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Bryan
i-iucsinirvr or THE (‘()'I.I.l-I(;l-I.
B, '1‘. .\ln..\‘|-;u . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..College Station
S'l‘.\’l'l()N s'r.\1~‘r.
l. Yorx<;u|.oo|). M. S . . . . . .» . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . ..Director

M. FRANcIs, l). V. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Veterinarian

i. S. FRAPS. iPu_ D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Cl1emist-

ll. Xmas, M. S‘ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Horticulturist

.l. (‘. BruNs, B. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Animal Plusbandman

“dLAlON XEWELL, M. S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..l<]ntomologist

A. B. (kmxlcu, B. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Agronomist

l<‘. ll. B1.o|>u1c'r'r. Pu. l) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Plant Pathologist and Physiologist

REX lC. \ViI.I..-\Rn, M. R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fa-rm Management Expert

W. L, Borrrri‘ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..State Feed Inspector

.l. B. i-Lvrmcn, .\I. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant Chemist

b‘. B. l’.\nno('1<_. B. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Assistant Entomologist

ll. H. Jousox. B. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant Agronomist

ll. Hcuxlurr, l). \'. .\l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant Veterinarian

\\'n.r.1.\ u lyrivix, A. B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Assistant Chemist

ll. G. Se.u‘i.|>|.\'<:. B. H‘ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assist-ant Chemist

(‘ins A, Fulau-ti: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Chief Clerk

A, h‘. \\'.~\1u<: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Secretary

.l. .\l. Rcinucniti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Stenographer

(I .-\. (‘Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _ ..Stenographer

H. L. Hmmacn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mailing Clerk

Sllkllfi AGRI(‘L7LTL‘RAI. }<I.\Il’l<llll_\ll<1_\"l‘ .\"|‘A'l‘l().\‘.\'.
(iOVliRXIXG noun).

llis l<‘xci~:r.i.|~:.\‘eY, Govnuxou O. B. (fonolirrr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Austin
LlEl"l‘l~L’.\NT-GOVPIRNOR WILL H. lL-xrizs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Bro\vn\vood
(‘osixnssioxi-nz or :\(;Rl(‘l'l.'l'l‘Rl-‘. En B. lion: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Austin

l)lRlCC/l‘()l} OF l<I.\'l’|*IRl_\llC.\"l‘ .'~"l'.\'l'l().\‘h'.

B. \'(>i'.\‘<;1:I.<)()i). M. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .College Station
A. B. (‘o.\'.\'l~1li. B. 8., Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Colleg‘e Station
H1.‘PIQRIN'I‘ENI)ICX'I‘S OF sL'P.-s'r.-\'rio.\'s.
l<1_ 1C. iilNFURl). Beevillc Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Beeville, Bee County

W. S. HoTcIiKiss. '.l‘roup Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..'l_‘roup, Smith County

1C. .\l. Jouxnsrox, (‘oziperative Rice Station . . . . . . . . ..Bea.u1nont, Jefferson County

l. h‘. YouK. Spur Slur-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Spur, Dickens County

T. \\'. iFliIL. Denton Rub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Denton, Denton County

A. K. Suoin‘. 'l‘eniple.-Belton Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Temple, Bell County

\'. L. (Your, Lubbock Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..l.ubbock, Lubbock County

N. lC. \\'1.\"1‘icu.s. Angleton Sub-Rtation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ang"leton, Brazorizt County

l-l. (‘. S'l‘l<I\VAR'l‘. l?ecos Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Pecos, Reeves County

(i. 'l‘. McNlcsssNac-(igdoches Rub-Station . . . . ..I\'ac0gdoches, Nacogtloches County

~-- _ Feeding and Breeding Station . . . . . . ..College Station, Brazos County

.\'o'1‘r1.—'l‘he main station is located on the grounds of the Agricultural and
hleehanical College, in Brazos County. The postofiice address is College Station,
'J‘e.\'as. Reports and bulletin are sent upon application to the Director. A
postal card will bring these publications.

 

THE ETHER EXTRACT AND THE CHLOROFORM EXTRACT
i OF SOILS.

t}.  lhixrs. (‘hemistf
J. B. liXFITI-Ill. Assistant (‘ht-mist.

The soil may contain any ol the substances which are found in plants
or animals. The 1)(‘1‘1ll3-ll('11('t} 0t the C0lll[)()1l11(l will depend upon its
resistance to decay. ln the chemical analysis of a soil it is thereJlorzr
permissible to 1nal<ci an examination for all different classes of com-
pOIHNlS found in the plant. Members of the Bureau ot Soils of; the
U. S. Department ol’ r\g'ric11ltnrc~ claim to have isolated from the soil
a number of (lefiirite chemical compoumls. dlllflllg which are certain
stibstances which are soluble in ether, such as di-hydroxystearic acid.

Schreiner and Shorey ( Jmreau ol’ Stiils Bulletin .33, page ti), digested
soils with alcohol and cixtrac-ttiml the product with ether‘; a portion ot the
alcohol extract is sol uhle in c-old tither. Our expei-icaiietr has shoyyn that
the wax-like substances oil’ plants are very ditticultly soluble in cold
ether, and more readily in hot ether. From the alcohol extracts oil.‘ soils
Schrcinei‘ and Shore): claim to have isolated wax-like bodies which they
designated agroceric acid and :ig'r0sterol. They state that the latter
product can be obtained by extracting‘ the saponitied alcohol extmct with
ether. From the zilcohol extract, imade directly, or from the humus:
extracted from soils with alkali. Schreiner and Shorey (Bulletin '7»,
Bureau 0t’ Soils), claim to have isolated the folloyring‘:

l{G11tl'lflC01_lttl11O
Pamflin acid

ltesin acids and esters
Plrytosterol

and some other substances which are soluhle in ether or chlorotorm.
We have been unable to find any estimation of the quantity of the
ether extract in soils.

_\l l'I'l'l.[O1) O l1‘ A .\".\ LYSIS.

One hundred and titty grants of soil were weighed into a (‘. 9. &i 9.
"extraction capsule and extiactetl tor sixteen hours in a soxhlet apparatus
with other. “Jihe ether had been purified oyer sodium and redistilletl.
The condensei‘ was ground in and the receiving‘ flask was connected to
the extractor lay means ot a lllt‘l'("lll‘_\' seal. After the extraction was
completed, the ether yras eyaiirirat-etl oti’. and the ether extract dried and
weigfhtitl. The soil yras next extracted in the same way with redistillerl
chloroform. and the c-liltrrotliriii extract likewise dried and weighed. "Fhe
products of the extraction in most cases were light yellow substances,
ycry nearly solid. ln some cases the ether extract showed a tendency
to crystallize.

__4c__

IIESIIIITS.

The results of the an-alysis 0t 28 samples of soil for ether extract and
of 53-1 for chloroform extract, are given in Table 1. With one exception,
all of these soils contained over .1 per cent. nitrogen. The average
percentage of ether extract in the 2S soils is 0.023 and of chloroform
extract is 01711 per cent. It- was not possible to trace any relation
between the fertility of the soil and the quantity of ether extract or
chloroform extract. Two of these soils, No. 1131 and No. 4544, Were
each said to produce more than a bale of cotton to the acre, and they
both contain 50 per cent. more extract than the other soils. The samples
examined from Brazoria county, Orange county, Liberty county, Grimes»
county and Jefferson county, contained more than the average quantity
of ether extract. There is more precipitation in these counties than in
some of the other parts of the State represented. However, we do not
undertake to draw any conclusions from this fact.

Table l——Ether and Chloroform Extracts in Percentage of Soils.

t
Lab.‘ - ; Ether Chloroform Nitrogen
.\lo.. Description and Origin of Soils. Extract Extract per cent.

‘ per cent; per cent.
1209iSurfacc soil, “adobe,” Welfare ...................................... .. .020 .024 .13
l259tl3lack waxy rice soil, Angleton .................................. .. .037 .033 . 15
1267lRicc soil, Haywood .... ..; ................................................... .. .027 .029 .14
1270lBlack sandy surface soil, _Crystal City .......................... .. .017 .030 .15

110 Houston black clay, Austin .............................. ..'. ........... .. .010 .011 .12
124 Sharkey clay, Paris .......................................................... .. .018 .010 .23-
142‘RlCG soil, virgin, Orange  ......................................... .. .024 .048 . 13
829,Houston loam, Caspir ......... ..; .......................................... .. .020 .011 . 13
114'Travis gravclley loam, Austin .....................  ................ .. .011 .005 .13
330!Crawford_stony clay, San/Marcos ................................ .. .017 .009 .31
845,Sandcrs silt loam, Robertson County ............................ .. .027 .013 .18-
1131iWabash clay, Hagenport ................................................ .. .032 .022 .28
3363 Houston Black clay, Lexington ...................................... .. .015 .011 .12.
3620 Surface soil near San Nliarcos river ................................ .. .015 .009 .12‘
3662|Orangebur clay Lexington ............................................ ..' .019 .018 .13
4344iSurface soi good, Osceola ................................................ .. .024 .008 . 11
3357§Surface soil good, Benbrook .......................................... .. .017 .017 . 15
3399lSurface soil, Bonham ...................................................... .. .016 .023 .12
3427ySubsoil from Red River .................................................. .. .011 .006 .10
36l3ySurface soil, Olmito .......................................................... .. .018 .017 .28
4544;“Elm bottom land,” Bedias ..............................  ............ .. .030 .010 .11
4565iBlack waxy_soil, Waco .................................................... .. .012 .008 . 154
4605\Vcry poor_rice soil, China .............................................. .. .035 .170 .12
4640lSurface soil, Winnsboro .................................................. .. .014 .016 .05-
3335iI-Iouston black clay, Waco .............................................. .. .020 ...................................... ..
3336rHouston black clay subsoil, Waco ................................. .. .019 ...................................... ..
3343tCrawford clay, Waco ...................................................... .1; .024 ....................................... ..
3353jUpland surface soil, Denton .......................................... ..; .018 ...................................... ..
Average of 24 ............................................................  .0203 l .0174 .15
- l

COWPOSITION OF THE ETHER EXTRACT.

tllhe products itroni each four soils WGTQ combined, saponified, and
the saponifialale separated from the unsaponifiable, according to the
methods given in Bulletin No. 150 of this Experiment Station. The
results of this work are presented in Table 

The ether extracts-of: the soil‘ were straw colored and often had a
greenish tinge. After separation, the saponified products were brown
and straw colored and were not homogeneous. The unsaponified matter
showed a tendency towards crystallization on long standing. The
products apparently contain both the fatty acids and the waxes which

__5___

were previously extracted by us from plants. The fatty acids from the
24 soils were combined, and the neutralization number determined. It
was found to be 177.0. Another estimation of the neutralization number
of the fatty acids from four soils only, was 167.9. This may be compared
With 179.8 for archidic and 166.0 for erucic acid. Palmitic acid has a
neutralization value of 219.1, stearic acid of 197.5, oleaic acid of 198.9
and di-hyrdroxylstearic acid of 177.6.

Table 3 compares the average composition of the ether extract of
plants and of soils. The average composition of the two are closely
related.

Table 2—Ether Extract—-Saponified and Unsaponified Products in Percentage of Soils.

Total
Saponified Unspon- Ether
ified Extract
3363-3620-3662-4344 .............................................................. .. . .008 .011 .018
3357-3399-3427-3613 .............................................................. .. .004 .008 .016
4544-4565-4605-4640 .............................................................. .. . 007 .011 .023
110-124-142-829 ...................................................................... .. . O08 .009 . 018
1209-1259-1267-1279 .............................................................. .. . 01 1 . 012 . 025
1 14-330-845-1 131 .................................................................... .. . 007 . 010 .022
3335-3336-3343-3353 .............................................................. .. . 01 1 . 008 .020
Average .............................................................................. .. . 008 . O10 . 020
Per cent ............................................................................ .. ~ 40.0 50.0 .................. ..

I
l Plants i Soils
I .
Unsaponified .................................................................................................. .. 58 . I 50 .
Saponified ...................................................................................................... .. 36. 40 .
Loss ................................................................................................................ .. 6 . E 10 .

COMPOSITION OF THE CHLOROFORM EXTRACT.

The chloroform extracts from six soils were combined and separated
into saponified, unsaponified and insoluble. The chloroform extracts of
the soils were straw-colored or brownish. After separation, the unsaponi-
fied was brownish in color and showed a tendency towards crystallization
on long standing. The results are given in Table 4. On an average
of the 24 soils the chloroform extract consists of 43 per cent. saponified,
36 per cent. unsaponified, 3 per cent. insoluble and 18 per cent. loss.
The loss may be partly due to materials soluble in water and not very
soluble in ether.

Table 5 compares the composition of the chloroform extract of John-
son grass with the average composition of the chloroform extracts of
soils. Like the composition of the ether extracts of plants and soils,
the chloroform extracts are closely related.

_()'_

Table 4—Chloroform Extracts, Products in Percentage of Soils.

l _ ' Total
l Saponified Unsapon- Insoluble Loss Chloroform
l _
i ified Extract
1111—33()—845—113l—Ii62()—-=1568 ....... .l .005 .006 .000 .000 .011 i
— ...— _— 1/—-L)1/——-’).'>..* . . - . . L) . ’
85,85‘§36%‘§é83"5§t8"fil‘188*"‘ "888 888 "888 '88‘? "83
1267-1279-3357-3813—3363—4(S/l()..  .008 I .008 .001 .003 .020
Average ....................................  .0071 .006 .0005 .003 .017
Per cent ....................................  ‘I3 36 3 18 .................. ..
l

Table 5—Average Percentage Composition of the Chloroforrn Extracts of Johnson Grass
and ol‘ Soils.

 

Johnson Soils

Grass
Unsaponified .................................................................................................. .. t 25. t 35.
Saponified .......  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. I a 57 b 43.
Loss ................................................................................................................ .. 18 l 18.

a This represents the sum of the saponified, chlorophyll and weak acids which would be in-
cluded as “saponified” in the method used on soils. -

b This represents the sum of the saponifi d and insoluble which would be included as
“saponified” in the classification given in “a.”

S[l)[.\,[.=\l{§.' AND COXOLUblONS.

(l) 'l‘\\'ent_\'-eie"lit soils contained on an average 0.0203 per cent. ether
extract, and a subsequent extraction with chlorotornr removed 0.0174
per cent.

(2) The ether extract of thesoils is composed of 50 per cent.
tinsaponifiable, 40 per cent. saponifietl, and a loss of 1O per cent. 1t is
nearly the same as the average composition of the ether extracts 0t
plants. '

(3) The chloroform extract consists 0t 30 per cent. unsaponltiahlc,
4-3 per cent. saponifieil. 3 per cent insoluble and 18 per cent. loss.
(4) The ether extract prohal;>l_\' contains fatty acids and wax alcohols.