296 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [april 



confirmed by the following experiments, although sufiicient data 

 are not yet available to warrant a final statement. 



Seeds removed from berries and allowed to dry at room tempera- 

 ture for 2 days failed to germinate within 2 weeks when placed on 

 moist cotton, although they never contained less than 22 per cent 

 of moisture. Fresh seeds on moist cotton kept at 4-6°, 0-2°, or 

 8° C. have never given more than 20 per cent germination when 

 placed at room temperature or above. Air-dry seeds have given 

 no better results. Although these seeds were kept at the low 

 temperature for not less than 2 months, a longer period may be 

 necessary. The experiments show that failure to germinate is not 

 entirely due to injury resulting from drying, although that may be 

 one of the determining factors. Neither is it to be attributed to 

 inability of air-dry seeds to absorb water, since the quantity taken 

 up in 48 hours by seeds with coats intact is equal to 38. 55 per cent 

 of their air-dry weight, while seeds with coats punctured absorb 

 39.16 per cent. Air-dry seeds contain approximately 6 per cent 

 of water. 



The effect of layering is shown by the following experiments, in 

 which the number of seeds used for the 19 16 crop was 1000 and 

 for the 191 7 crop 5000. Two lots of air-dry seeds of the 1916 crop 

 were mixed with soil. One lot was kept at 15-20° C, the other out 

 of doors over winter. In spring the percentages of germination 

 were 8 and 44 respectively. Fresh seed of the 191 7 crop, which 

 had not been permitted to become dry when treated in the same 

 way, gave 51 per cent and 77 per cent respectively. Air-dry seeds 

 of the 1 9 16 crop one year old failed to show any germination. Loss 

 of water seems to be accompanied by a reduction in vitality. 



Air-dry seeds gathered on October 14, 1916, were treated within 

 30 days with weak solutions of a large number of acids, bases, and 

 salts. The acids used were mahc, citric, tartaric, acetic, and 

 butyric; the bases, potassium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, 

 and sodium hydroxide; and the salts, sodium sulphate, nickel 

 sulphate, ammonium sulphate, zinc sulphate, potassium sulphate, 

 potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, cobalt nitrate, ammonium 

 nitrate, calcium chloride, sodium chloride, barium chloride, and 

 potassium thiocyanate. The dilutions of the acids were N/200 



