The Treatment of Seeds 



leaves. The spray treatment had little effect upon lucerne, 

 however, and depth of rooting may be a factor. 



In their 1938 paper Amlong et al. reported on the com- 

 bined effect of two synthetics in mixed solution applied to 

 seeds, and are probably the first workers to do so. The effect 

 of mixture does not seem to be very marked. 



The first investigation of the effect of a synthetic growth- 

 substance on seeds was done by Cholodny (1936) in connec- 

 tion with the Russian work on vernalization {syn. yaroviza- 

 tion), that is, the effect of applying physical treatments, such 

 as cooling, to seed, for the purpose of hastening growth. 

 Cholodny and others suspected a hormonal effect, and his so- 

 called "hormonization" was an outcome, from which the 

 whole of the other work on application of growth-substances 

 to seed has probably derived. 



The term "hormonization" is a vague one, because it can 

 connote treatment with at least three classes of substance: 

 (i) hormones proper to the species tested; (2) hormones 

 belonging to another species of plant; (3) animal hormones. It 

 has been used wrongfully to mean (4) treatment of seeds with 

 synthetic growth-substances, and was in fact used by Chol- 

 odny in both senses (2) and (4) in his 1936 communication, 

 wherein he described the effect of maize embryos on seedling 

 growth of oats. (See also p. 39). 



The treatment of seeds with urine containing animal 

 hormones has been revived by Tovarnitzky and Statkovskaia 

 (1938), who used urine as a source of sexual hormone; cf. 

 Eyster and Ellis (1924). 



REFERENCES C 



Amlong, H.U., and Naundorf, G. (1937), Forschungsdienst, 4, 



417; (1938), ibid., 5, 292-303; (1939) ibid., 7, 465-482. 



The last is well illustrated. 

 Cholodny, N. (1936), Nature, 138, 586. 

 Eyster, W. H., and Ellis, M. M. (1924), Growth of maize 



seedlings as affected by glucokinin and insulin. Journ, 



Gen. Physiol., 6, 653. 



49 



