g£jg GERMINATION OF SEEDS. 



I repeated it with the utmost care. After some days, 2 

 cubic inches of gas were collected ; and on being submitted 

 to the usual test, 90 per cent disappeared. In ten days 

 after 5 cubic inches more had formed, of which 99 percent 

 were absorbed ; and 3*2 cubic inches being tried with caus- 

 tic potash, only a bubble remained. 

 Germination These results prove beyond any doubt, with how much 



not n«cessarjr facility the particles of seeds act upon each other, even in 



w the prod lie- J . L ... 



r.or, of carbomc a pulverized state, when moistened with water; and how 



uncertain, under any circumstances, must be the attempt 

 to discover the precise time of the cessation of germination 

 of seeds confined in oxigen gas, or what part of the carbo- 

 nic acid gas is given out by that process, and what by the 

 spontaneous decomposition of some portion of the seed. 

 'Hence it should seem, that such experiments, as may have 

 been made with a view to establish the identity of quantity 

 . between the disappearing oxigen gas and the newly formed 

 carbonic acid gas, must be supposed to be in a great mea«* 

 sure fallacious, and consequently the conclusions drawn 

 » from them not to be depended upon. 



Tb* seeds lost In my first essays on this subject, rendered fruitless by 

 "•^Sl 1 * the circumstance before mentioned, I was desirous of dis- 



. covering whether seeds increased or decreased in weight 

 during germination. For this purpose 1 weighed accurately 

 several parcels of barley before placing them in the air, and 

 after they were taken out, having previously well dried their 

 surfaces with blotting paper. In every instance I found a 

 deficiency of weight, but not beyond what may be easily 

 fcyeraporation, accounted for- by the evaporation of moisture from the 

 seeds; as I could often, when the air was particularly dry 

 (as oxigen gys prepared from oxigenated muriate of potash 

 over mercury is), perceive some water condensed on the 

 rot b/gernu- skies of the jars. It appears therefore impossible in this 

 aation. wa y to come at the truth : but from all I have been able to 



observe, I am persuaded a real increase takes place. The 

 ' following statement gives an account of the loss these seeds 

 sustained, while confined for some days in jars of atmo* 

 sr.heric air. 



20a 



