HORTICULTURE AND LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



133 



tion of clover, rape, and hemp seeds, though a solution so weak as this did 

 not prevent wheat from germinating. A 1% solution of the salt, however, 

 prevented all but a few grains of wheat from germinating, and the sprouts 

 that did start soon perished. Hemp seeds were injuriously affected by a 

 solution of salt that contained no more than 0.25%. When moistened with 

 a 1% solution of sulphate of ammonia, wheat seeds germinated, but the 

 young plants would not grow, not even when the solution was only 0. 75%. 

 . A comparatively large number of seeds germinated when wet with a 10% 

 solution of sugar, but the growth of the young plants was hindered even by a 

 0.5% solution of it. Ferrous sulphate (copperas), even when its solution is 

 no stronger than 0.05%, has an injurious effect, both on germination and on 

 the further development of seeds that have already sprouted." * 



"Alkaline borates and silicates were found to retard germination, even 

 when used in relatively small proportions, stronger solutions checking germi- 

 nation for an indefinite period. Arsenious acid and the soluble arseniates 

 prevented germination altogether by destroying the germ or embryo." f 

 Blue vitriol has been found by Professor Henslow of England to possess no 

 injurious influence upon the germination of wheat. 



These results are valuable as indicating the limit of danger in the use of 

 substances sometimes employed as fungicides and insecticides. Nessler's 

 results with solutions of common salt ar.e not fully confirmed by a series of 

 careful experiments conducted at this college by W. K. Kedzie. J These 

 experiments were undertaken chiefly to determine how much steeping in 

 brine could be endured by wheat with the object of destroying the rust. 

 With saturated solutions it was found that as high as 96% of the seeds 

 germinated. The following table presents the results of one trial, the brines 

 being kept at a temperature of 62° Fahr.,30 seeds of Diehl wheat being used 

 in each instance : 



Percentage of salt in solution. 



35 per cent. 



35 " 



55 " 



35 " 



35 " 



36 " 

 55 " 



"Grains were steeped in saturated brine [35%], also in brine of 25 per 

 cent.', at an average temperature of 200° Fahr., for periods of 30 minutes, 

 40 minutes, 2 hours, and 5 hours, and in every case every grain was destroyed. 

 An examination of the steeped grains revealed the germinating principle 

 utterly destroyed. ***** ^j^ attendant phenomenon in the 

 steeping of grains was the slow destruction and solution of the protective 

 covering of the grains." The strongest brines, not hot, produced a very 



* Storer, Agriculture, ii. 395. 



+ Experiments of Meckel, quoted by Burbidge, Cult. Plants, 33. 



t Rep. Mich. Board Agr. 1869, 190. 



