8 Fit jjsiolog leal Pre-determination 



Experimenl 3. Effect of Temperature during soaking period. 



In this experiment the influence of the temperature obtaining during 

 the period of soaking upon the degree and nature of the pre-determining 

 influence of soaking upon subsequent growth and development was 

 investigated. 



25 seeds of Dwarf Bean {Phaseolus indgaris) (Sutton's, Sept. 1917) 

 were used in each experiment. 



The seeds were soaked in distilled water for periods of G, 24, 48 and 

 72 hours respectively at four diiTerent temperatures, viz. : 



1. 10° C. (average) 



2. 20° ) 



3. 25° I Thermostat 



4. 30° j 



After the soaking treatment the seeds were sown in good potting soil 

 in large wooden boxes which were placed in a greenhouse with an average 

 temperature of o5° F. 



The following table gives the results obtained when the beans were 

 harvested 3 weeks after sowing: 



Table IX. Germination and groivth results. 

 Dwarf Beans 

 Dry weights per 100 plants produced from seeds soaked at 



In the dark. 



The figures in brackets denote the number of plants produced. 



The most obvious result of this experiment is that a deleterious effect 

 is visible even after the shortest period of soaking {i.e. 6 hours) and that 

 this deleterious effect progressively increases with longer periods of 

 soaking at all temperatures. 



The second result of importance from an economic point of view is 

 that the temperature during the soaking treatment especially for the 

 shorter periods docs not have any marked effect upon the figures for the 

 dry weight per ])lant. 



Upon the number of germinations, however, and c()iise(|U(Mitly, \i\)on 



