I9I2] A. R. Rose 429 



are very striking, as is shown below by the averages compiled f rom 

 their tables. 



Phosphonis Length of Plant. Dry Matter. Weight of Grain. 



Container, Cm. Grams. Grams. 



Lecithan 20.4 1 1.7 4.5 



Phytin i i.i 2.5 0.5 



Nucleoprotein 9.3 2.3 0.5 



NajHPO^ iS-9 6.0 1.8 



FePOi 9-6 3-5 0.8 



AIPO4 10.2 3.0 0.5 



CasCPOOz 21.0 9.9 3.2 



No phosphate 7.8 1.4 0.0 



The organic and inorganic phosphates were each added in such 

 amounts as to give the equivalent of 0.395 gram of P2O5 per pot 

 of two and a half kilos of soil. 



If phytins are normally important constituents of seeds, one 

 might assume a priori that these salts, if added to the Substrate, 

 would at some stage of the Hfe cycle show an influence on plant 

 growth. Aso and Yoshida have shown from final results that the 

 use of phytin as a fertilizer is not particularly advantageous when 

 compared with the employment of other forms of phosphorus. It 

 remained to be seen whether or not the addition of phytin to the 

 nutrient medium at the beginning of the life of a plant in any in- 

 stance would cause stimulating effects. Presumably the seed car- 

 ries sufficient phosphorus for the completion of normal germination, 

 but the presence of an excess over the amount required might reveal 

 some interesting facts. This possibility was tested in the experi- 

 ments described below. 



II. EXPERIMENTAL 



General method. Lupin seeds were used in the experiments. 

 They were soaked in water over night. Seeds of practically the 

 same size and plumpness were then selected and planted in wet moss. 

 After three or four days, the seedlings were taken from the moss, 

 one at a time, the coat of each removed, and the sprout rinsed in 

 distilled water. The primary root, now readily discernible, was 

 carefully measured on a millimeter scale. 



The seedlings were at once fastened on glass rods drawn out 

 at one end to form a sharp-pointed L and suspended in perforated 

 cork Covers over 800 c.c. Jena beakers, each containing 400 c.c. of 



