AGRICULTUBAL BOTANY. 135 



catalase and peroxidase. Near the end of the period of after-ripening there is a 

 sudden greater increase in acidity and in the water content. At this time the 

 fats decrease and sugars appear. 



The after-ripening period, it was found, can be shortened greatly by treating 

 the embryos with dilute solutions of hydrochloric, butyric, and acetic acids. 

 The water-holding power, the acidity, and the activity of peroxidase increase 

 miich more rapidly than in the untreated embryos. 



The relation of ventilation to the respiration of fruits, G. R. Hill, Jr. 

 (Abs. in Science, n. ser., 37 {1913), No. nJ,9, p. 378).— A study is reported of 

 the respiration and other metabolic phenomena of cherries, blackberries, green, 

 market ripe, and very ripe peaches, ripe red Astrachan apples, and Concord and 

 Catawba grapes which were placed in nitrogen, hydrogen, air, and carbon 

 dioxid. Particular attention was given to an investigation of the common cold 

 storage injury known as ice scald, and the results point quite definitely to a 

 close relationship between it and anaerobic respiration. The keeping qualities 

 of fruits in storage in the gases and the relation of these to ventilation were 

 also considered. 



Comparative investigations on the transpiration of barley with and with- 

 out awns, E. W. Schulze (Mitt. Landw. Lchrkanz. K. E. Hochsch. Bodenkul. 

 Wien, 1 (1913), No. 3, pp. 285-308, pis. 3).— Barley plants having awns trans- 

 pired much more than those naturally or artificially awnless, the slight eleva- 

 tion of transpiration shown by the last being attributed to wounding and loss 

 of water. Direct insolation raised considerably the relative rate of the natur- 

 ally awnless variety as compared with its effect on the other two. The highest 

 point of transpiration was reached when in the milk stage of the grain. 



The heat of absorption of water in wood, F. Dunlap (Abs. in Science, n. 

 ser., 31 (1913), No. 9.'i9, p. 3Si).— Studies were made of oven dry wood to de- 

 termine the heat evolved when brought in contact with water. The wood and 

 water were both cooled to 0° C, brought together at this temperature, and the 

 heat evolved was measured. This was found to raise the dry wood entering 

 into the reaction from to about 50°. Assuming that the specific heat of wet 

 wood is the sum of the specific heats of the wood and water present in wet 

 wood, the author claims that its temperature would be raised to about 30°. He 

 states that wood is hygroscopic and that its moisture content varies with that 

 of the atmosphere about it. The " working " of wood is due to changes of 

 volume of its substance with changing moisture content, and experiments are 

 in progress to destroy the hygroscopicity of wood or render it insensitive to 

 changes in the atmosphere. 



Studies of the wild oat, W. M. Atwood (Abs. in Science, n. ser., 31 (1913), 

 No. 949, p. 3S0). — A study was made of the germinative quality of Avena fatua. 



It was found that the seed germinates poorly after harvest, but that the 

 percentage of germination increases steadily up to the succeeding spring and 

 summer. The delay in germination appears to be due neither to the chemical 

 condition of the embryo nor to the obstruction offered to water entry by the 

 seed coats. Oxygen seemed to be the limiting factor to germination, and break- 

 ing the seed coats or increasing the oxygen pressure stimulated the germina- 

 tion. Investigations are in progress to determine whether the so-called after- 

 ripening of the seed is due to alterations in the oxygen demands or to increased 

 permeability of the seed coats. 



The problem of the origin of CEnothera lamarckiana, B. M. Davis (Abs. in 

 Science, n. ser., 31 (1913). No. 9.',9, p. 376).— According to the author OB. lamarc- 

 kiana has been identified as a form of CE. grandiflora, and this has materially 

 changed the situation in respect to the origin of the plant which has been the 

 subject of experimentation by De Vries. It is claimed that CE. lamarckiana is 



