SEEDS WEEDS. 155 



not indicatiug the identity of the two phenomena. Peas, l)eans, barley, castor lieans, 

 etc., were experimented with, and it is claimed that when deprived of oxygen the 

 peas were able to produce a true alcoholic fermentation. The decomposition of the 

 saccharose, which at the end of the experiment seemed to be converted into a form 

 of invert sugar, seems to indicate that the presence of amylase is necessary for the 

 transformation of starch into glucose. The experiments are briefly summarized by 

 the authors, who claim that the intramolecular respiration of seed and of all veg- 

 etable organisms whose products of respiration are formed from hydrolysa])le carbo- 

 hydrates is identical with alcoholic fermentation. In the absence of air, peas not 

 only ferment the carbohj-drate reserves, but accomiilish the decomp(^sition of such 

 carbohydrates as glucose and saccharose which have been artificially added. In pure 

 water peas transformed 22 per cent of their original dry matter into alcohol, and in 

 the glucose solution 27 per cent was produced. The fermentation of starch presup- 

 poses the formation of amylase, and the decomposition of saccharose depends ujion 

 inversion. It is believed that the formation of enzyms in the absence of oxygen 

 depends upon the nitrogenous material present, and they can not be considered as 

 oxidation products of albuminoids. In a solution of saltpeter peas were able to par- 

 tially reduce the nitrate, l)ut the nitrite formed ultimately destroyed the seed. The 

 intensity of intramolecular resjiiration is dire(;tly dependent upon the temperature, 

 l)ut the total production of alcohol and carbon dioxid is independent of it. Dif- 

 ferent kinds of seeds vary in their resj^iratory capacity, those of legumes possessing 

 it in a high degree, cereals less so, and in oil-bearing seeds it is reduced to a mini- 

 mum. Intramolecular respiration or alcoholic fermentation is the first phase in the 

 normal respiration of plants whenever that depends upon the hydrolysis of carbo- 

 hydrates. Whenever there are no carbohydrate reserves, respiration is dependent 

 upon the direct action of oxygen, but there is no relation between these two func- 

 tions. The chemical processes which take place within the plant cell during respira- 

 tion are not identical with all cells of the same type, but the phenomena vary with 

 the nature of the material entering into the respiration. 



Tests of the vitality of seed grain and other seeds for 1901, W. Saunders 

 ( Canada Eipt. Farim^ liptx. 1901, pp. 58, 59). — A report is given of a number of sam- 

 ples of seed grain and other seeds which w' ere tested for vitality during the season of 

 19(>1. The total number of samples tested was 2,385, of which 900 were wheat, 312 

 barley, 972 oats, and the remainder mostly field and garden seeds. The maximum 

 and minimum percentages, as well as the average vitality, for the lot are shown. In 

 some instances the averages are (juite low, due to the fact that a number of samples 

 of very low germinative ability were tested. A table is also given showing the 

 results of the grain tests for each province. 



How long may beet seed be stored? F. Lub. nski {Bl. Zuekerrubenbau, 8 

 (1901), No. 17, 24^- 359-263). — An account is given of experiments' conducted at the 

 experiment station of Nemercze, Podolia, Russia, on the vitality of stored beet seed. 

 Two lots of seed of the harvest of 1892 were selected for the experiment, half of 

 which were stored in a double linen bag, the other hermetically sealed in a jar. 

 Beginning in 1893, samples of seed from each lot were tested bimonthly for 3 years, 

 and thereafter semiannually for 4 years. In every case a gradual diminution in 

 vitality was noted, the seed kept in sacks falling from an average of 133.1 to 50 

 germinations per 100 seed bolls in 14 days and those hermetically sealed depreciat- 

 ing from 133.7 to germinations in the same time. When tested at bimonthly 

 jjeriods the seed gave higher percentages of germination during the spring and sum- 

 mer months than when tested during the winter. 



Report of the Skara Chemical and Seed-Control Station, 1901, S. Hammar 

 {Ber. YerJcs. Skara Kem. Sia. FrnJcontrollansi., 1901, pp. 33). — Chemical analyses to 

 the number of 6,482 were made during the year, and 353 tests of seed and 686 



