FACTORS INFLUENCING DIASTASE FORMATION 229 



part of a saturated solution of CaCl> with 3 parts of distilled 

 water, (1-3), the amount of water taken up by the grains is al- 

 most double that taken up by grains placed above a solution of 

 equal parts of distilled water and a saturated solution of CaCl 2 . 

 A further decrease in the density, (1-7), causes another increase 

 in imbibition but in this instance it is only 2% more than in the 

 last mentioned case. Grains suspended above distilled water 

 show a concomitant increase in the amount of water taken 

 up. In this case it is about 2% higher than in grains held above 

 the greatest dilution of CaCl> used. The above method enables 

 one to study the diastase of the barley grain at 5°C. with a 

 water content of 10.91%, 16.44%, 22.34%, 24.72%, 26.83%, 

 respectively. 



At 10°C. above solutions of CaCl 2 of the same concentrations 

 as used at 5°C. the grains again give us an ascending series in 

 respect to the water content and differ from the first (5°C.) in 

 that the content above respective solutions is slightly higher. 

 For example, the increase above the saturated solution of CaCl 2 

 is 0.11%; that above the solutions, 1-1, 1-3, 1-7, and distilled 

 water is, 1.1, 1.34, 1.04 and 3.08% respectively. The amount 

 of water taken up by barley grains at 15°C, when suspended 

 above the different solutions, increases as the density decreases 

 but the increase does not take place as uniformly as at the pre- 

 vious temperatures. These irregularities are to be expected be- 

 cause of the nature of the salt used (CaCl 2 ) as already observed 

 by Wullner (1860). 



The amount of water taken up by the grains at 20 °C. above the 

 series of solutions, again assumes a regular increase as the den- 

 sity is decreased. The amount of water taken up above dis- 

 tilled - water is about 8 times as great as that absorbed above a 

 saturated solution of CaCl 2 . The same progressive increase in 

 the amounts of water taken up by the grains is also found when 

 the solutions are maintained at a temperature of 25°C In 

 this case the amount of water which the grains take up when 

 suspended above distilled water is about 7 times greater than 

 that absorbed above a saturated solution of CaCl 2 . 



The rate of hydrolysis, as shown in table 4, shows that the 

 method allows a study of the effects of temperature and water 



