GERMINATION OF SEEDS. %%l 



the gluten on the saccharine matter formed by the germina* 

 tion. When the sugar is exhausted, the acescent first, an4 

 then the putrefactive phenomena commence; but only very 

 partially, as T have found the seeds will remain for many 

 months in the jars after the carbonic acid gas has nearly 

 ceased to be produced, without undergoing much apparent 

 alteration. 



Exp. 4. To observe how far the same phenomena might Paste gave 69 

 take place in matters completely disorganised, and u "d er p^s °0-'l nitres 

 ■what variety of circumstances this prolific gas (carbonic) gen. 

 would be produced, I mixed up a little flour, water, and 

 yeast into a stirT paste, and passed a piece of it about the 

 size of a walnut up an inverted jar filled with mercury. 

 Jn three days I collected seven cubic inches of gas. The 

 whole being submitted to lime water, an absorption ensued, 

 leaving one tenth of an inch only, which appeared to be 

 nitrogen. 



Exp. 5. I also placed in the same situation a piece of Paste without 

 paste made with flour and water only, about the same size, 

 rolled very stiff'. The gas here formed very slowly, not more 

 than 3*50 cubic inches being collected in ten days. Of this 

 lime water took up 94 per cent. Tn 8 da s, after 4 cubic 

 inches more had formed, and by the same test, &6 per cent 

 were absorbed. 



Exp. 6. Three pieces of the same paste were also placed Paste in oxi» 

 in an inverted jar, containing 1-30 cubic inches of oxigen gengas * 

 gas of the purity of 98 per cent. After the paste was in 

 the jar, the whole indicated by the graduated scale 2*75 

 cubic inches. In three days, the usual allowance being 

 made for difference of temperature and pressure, an ab- 

 sorption had evidently taken place, the volume being re- 

 duced to 2 cubic inches. In four days more it increased 

 to 3*70 cubic inches; and in four days after to 7. A little 

 of the air being now tried with limewater, 95 per cent 

 were absorbed ; evidently showing, that the greatest part of 

 the oxigen ga« had disappeared. To prove this still farther, 

 it was suffered to remain till it had increased to 15 cubic 

 inches, when the same test took up 99 per cent, which.it 

 could not have done, had iny oxigen gas remained. 



Exp.7* To be convinced no errour had ensued in Exp. 5, ir x% 5 re peat- 



I repeated ed. 



