1050 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



direct ray.s of the sun. In nearly ever}' iiustance those seeds which 

 were subjected to the direct sun's rays were retarded in their germi- 

 nation, although the effect upon the total gerrainative ability was not 

 iiiHuenced in any appreciable degree, the total number of germina- 

 tions in each lot being practically the same. 



On the germination of tobacco seed, M. Raciborski {'' S Lands 

 Planientain, Bid. Inst. Bat. Buitenzorg, 1900. Xo. 6, pp. i(9).— The 

 wide variation presented by the germination in ditierent lots of 

 tobacco seed, when tested under varying conditions, led the author to 

 investigate some of its causes. Similar lots of seed were germinated 

 under identical conditions except that one lot was kept in total dark- 

 ness and the other in diffused daylight. The seed placed in the light 

 germinated rapidly and well, while those kept in the dark, although 

 the investigations were contimied for 40 da3's, in some cases did not 

 show a single germination. Submitting the latter to the light for a 

 few hours, however, was sufficient to stimulate the seed to germina- 

 tion. Tobacco seed sown upon soil, sand, peat, etc., and kept in the 

 dark, failed to germinate. 



The eff'ect of age on seed was investigated, with the result that 

 1-year-old seed germinated 9() per cent, 2-year-old 85 per cent, and 

 ■Jr-year-old 06 per cent. The variation due to variety was tested, in 

 which it was found that tobacco seed varied from 1 to 10 per cent in 

 different varieties when germinated under identical conditions. Notes 

 are given on some of the physiological phenomena during germination, 

 and chemical studies on the differences between the roots and the stems 

 of the young plantlets. 



Germination of wheat and oats treated for smut ( Wijovuikj Sta. 

 Bpt. 1000., ip. S). — A report is given of the effect on germination of 

 treating wheat and oats with solutions of copper sulphate, potassium 

 sulphid, and by the Jensen hot-water treatment. The copper sulphate 

 solution was made by dissolving 1 lb. of commercial copper sulphate 

 in 24 gals, of water. In these the seed were soaked 13 hours, after 

 which they were removed and inunersed in limewater for 5 minutes. 

 The potassium sulphid treatment consisted of soaking the seed for 2 

 hours in a 2 per cent solution of that substance. The hot-water treat- 

 ment consisted of subjecting the seed grain to a temperature of 135° F. 

 for 15 minutes. The results of the germination test showed that in 

 every case the treatment proved injurious to the seed. As a possible 

 explanation of this fact it is suggested that the seed coats of the grain, 

 nearly all the specimens of which had been grown at Laramie in lSiti», 

 may have been much thinner than usual, thus not offering the protec- 

 tion usually given to such seeds. 



Combating weeds by means of metallic salts, Frank {Arh. K. 

 Gesundheitsamte, Biol. Alt., 1 {1900), M. 2,2^P- 127-175^ pi. 1).—A 

 review is given of some of the literature relating to the destruction of 



