GERMINATION ON SEEDS. $2^ 



After the pease were in, it stood at 6*70 



In four hours it had decreased to • 6*00 



In four hours more to 5*50 



In three hours more to 5'IQ 



And in twelve hours more it had increased to 7*00 



Six cubic inches of the air being now transferred for exa- Oxigen gas al» 

 mination, 95 per cent were absorbed. The residue tested ^YhVcom- 

 with impregnated sulphate of iron remained unaltered. mencemem, 



From experiment 8 to this last it appears evident, that, 

 when germinating seeds are first placed in oxigen gas, a con- 

 siderable absorption takes place, the quantity of which is 

 much influenced by the state of the seeds, and the tempe- 

 rature of the atmosphere. As all I wish to establish is this 

 simple fact, I have not been anxious as to the minor parti- 

 culars, or in entering into any tedious aud unnecessary cal- 

 culations, only in instances where the difference of tempe- 

 rature and pressure made it unavoidable; and in such the 

 proper allowances were made, as I have before stated. 



In the last experiment it is most decisive, and to an extent not to be ac- 

 beyoud any thing to be accounted for by the condensation f^ r l J^ d f a r _ b * 

 supposed to ensue from the conversion of oxigen gas and bonic acid, 

 carbon into carbonic acid gas. 



It is also demonstrated, that, if the seeds be suffered to The whole of 

 remain sufficiently long, the whole of the oxigen gas disap- the oxigen d» 

 pears, and the carbonic acid gas notwithstanding still con- form^arbonif 

 tinues to be produced. But if the air be examined when aci< *« 

 arrived at the original quantity, after the decrease, a portion 

 of the oxigen gas may still be discovered, contradicting at 

 once the statement of the sameness in quantity of the car- 

 bonic acid gas formed, and the oxigen gas consumed. 



In conducting experiments 12, 13, and 14, I thought it Actian ofH?ht 



might not be superfluous to institute a comparison between unimportant. 



the process of germination in the dark and in the light, all 



other circumstances being as nearly as possible the same : 



and from an attentive examination and consideration of the 



results I cannot find any material difference, but what may 



be readily accounted for by the difference of moisture in the 



seeds, or some other unknown trifling incident. Here the *> 



water was confined to the seeds.; but when they are exposed soon kills 



. tecda. 

 la 



