358 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



buminous matter, in the ripening seeds when they begin to 

 dry; the crystalloids, as well as the crystals and globoids, 

 are noticeable earlier, and serve as nuclei of the proteine-gran- 

 ules. In germination, a similar emulsion is formed by solution 

 of the granules, the inclosed bodies being distributed in the 

 cell fluids, the globoids and crystalloids being gradually dis- 

 solved. A very interesting connection between the nitrog- 

 enous substance asparagine, and the reserve proteine matter 

 of the seed was traced in the germination of the Papiliona- 

 crm. The substance recognizable in the cells by aid of the 

 microscope was obtained in characteristic crystals by treat- 

 ment of the germinating plants with alcohol; and the fact was 

 festablished that, as the plantlet grew, asparagine assumed 

 the place of proteine matter, and was distributed farther into 

 the roots and stems, about as far as the sugar formed from 

 starch and oil, passing like these in the cells of the parenchy- 

 ma. With farther development of the plant it gradually and 

 entirely disa^^pears. It may be concluded, therefore, that 

 the reserve proteine matter of the seed is transformed in ger- 

 mination into asparagine, out of which albuminous matter is 

 again subsequently formed. Chemical analysis confirmed the 

 fact that the increase of asparagine at first is proportional to 

 the decrease of proteine matter, and that the total amount of 

 nitrogen (even on the exclusion of additional nitrogen) re- 

 mains constant. Since asparagine contains more nitrogen 

 than the proteine matter, it is extremely probable that por- 

 tions of carbon and hydrogen are either directly or indirectly 

 eliminated in respiration, and since the asparagine is subse 

 quently reconverted into albuminous matter, and the non-ni- 

 trogenous matter does not afford carbon enough for this pur- 

 pose, the operation will be partially checked in plants pre- 

 vented from the assimilation of carbon by cultivation in the 

 dark. 19 C, i^^mary 1, 1873, 45. 



FERTILIZATION IN GRASSES. 



The contrivances for efiecting cross-fertilization among the 

 grasses, i. ., the impregnation of the ovary of one flower by 

 the pollen from another in preference to its own, are numerous 

 and very various. The agent employed for the purpose is 

 the wind, insects having little to do with it. The fine pollen 

 grains are smooth and non-adherent ; the anthers hang sus- 



