10 



Ph i/slologleal Pre-determination 



influences not only the vigour and percentage of germination, but also 

 the whole course of subsequent growth and final yield. It is interesting 

 in this connection to note the fact that from the records of experiments in 

 which growing crops have been submitted to electrical discharge through- 

 out their development there is reason to believe that beneficial results 

 are most obvious during the initial stages of growth. 



Days 

 140 



S 100- 



o 



50- 



Date of Germination 

 Fig. .3. 



The following table (Table Vlli) summarises certain recent results 

 obtained at the Research Station for Plant Physiology at Dahlem, which 

 were reported by Hostermann (ir)) in the Landwirthschaftliche Jahrbiicher 

 for 1913. The main significance of these results, apart from the fact 

 that effects were found to last throughout the life of the plant, seems to 

 be that better results are obtained when the seeds are treated after 

 swelling in water than when treated dry. and that injury can easily 

 result from too powerful a discharge. 



