Germination of the Seeds of some common cultivated Plants after 



prolonged Immersion in Liquid Air 



* 



By A. D. Selby 



During the winter season of 1 900- 1 90 1, Mr. J. E. Woodland, 

 of Wooster, who was traveling at the time conducting experiments 

 with liquid air, suggested to the writer the desirability of sub- 

 jecting seeds to the low temperatures resulting from immersion in 

 the liquid air, and very kindly offered to conduct the immersion if 

 the seeds and the directions for the work were supplied. This gen- 

 erous offer on the part of Mr. Woodland entailed no small labor 

 as he was traveling from place to place and his time was absorbed 

 in his lecture work. It is needless to state that the offer of coop- 

 eration was accepted. Packages of seeds of Ricinus, Lupinus 

 luteits, maize, flax, wheat, rye, cucumber, Mimosa pudira, Ono- 

 btyckis sativa, Pinus sylvcstris, Cotoneasterbuxifolia, and Chenopodiiim 

 album, consisting of a limited number of seeds of each species, 

 were tied separately in open Swiss cloth and these were collec- 

 tively for each set united in small bundles. Properly enclosed 

 these were transmitted by mail and returned after immersion in the 

 medium, liquid air. The seeds were then germinated upon moist- 

 ened filter paper together with untreated seeds out of most of the 

 original packages from which the immersed seeds were taken. By 

 an oversight or by neglect to reserve them, the seeds of maize, 

 Ricinus, Lupinus luteus and Chenopodiiim album are not recorded 

 in the check lots. The germination of the untreated seeds of the 

 latter is thought to have been good. The seeds of Cotoneaster 



did not prove germinable. 



Similar lots of the seeds were also planted in the greenhouse in 

 flats, and while the germinations were decidedly irregular in the 

 soil, they may possess interest. Those who have endeavored to 

 grow many sorts of seeds in soil under glass in the mid-winter 

 season, may be less surprised than others at this feature. The 



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* Presented in abstract before Section G, American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science, Denver Meeting, August, 1901. 



675 



