332 



Bulletin 312 



The data given in Table 19 show the increased number germinated in 

 the treated lots over the untreated lots. This is shown graphically by 

 Figs. 83 and 84. 



Effect of drying after acid treatment 



The effect of drying the seed after it is treated with acid, and washed 

 with water so as to remove the sulfuric acid, is shown in Table 20. It 

 is seen that there is a considerable acceleration still manifest in the ger- 

 mination 28 days after treatment has taken place. In order to secure 

 further evidence on this point, some of the C 10 seed that had been treated 

 for I hour with sulfuric acid and then washed with water was tested after 



Fig. 85. — Cotton seed, 

 acid for 60 minutes, 

 after 4 days 



The lower twenty seeds were treated with concentrated sulfuric 

 The twenty seeds above received no treatment. Germination 



being kept in the laboratory for about 8 months. A check test of the 

 untreated seed from the same lot, which had been kept in the meantime 

 in the same room with the treated, was made for comparison. Of the 

 untreated seeds 176 were used; of the treated, 116 seeds. The germina- 

 tions after 4 days were: untreated, 42, or 23.9 per cent; treated, 112, or 

 96.6 per cent. Some of these seeds are shown in Fig. 85. It is believed 

 that cotton seed can thus be delinted and allowed to dry out, and that 

 the factors which cause acceleration of germination will still remain. 



It seems evident that the advantages to be gained from delinting cotton 

 seed are: the acceleration of germination secured; the increased facility 

 with which the seed may be separated into light and heavy; the possi- 



