F. KiDD AND C. West 



ir)9 



Results of the same nature were recorded by Babcock(2) and by 

 Eberliart(8). Babcock found {I.e. p, 129) that radish seeds taken from 

 green pods, corn picked whilst the husks were still green, and sweet corn 

 gathered whilst the kernels were still soft and milky failed to germinate 

 when transferred direct from the parent plant to wet filter paper, whereas 

 similar immature seeds after a preliminary exposure to warm dry air 

 for a period of 10 days germinated quickly and completely in the normal 

 way (Table II). 



Table II. 

 Germination of Mature and Immature Seeds. 



Influence of Maturity and Exposure to Air upon Germination. 



Eberhart (I.e.) found that whereas a sample of dead-ripe rye germin- 

 ated immediately upon harvesting, the same grain, harvested in the 

 milk stage, did not germinate until it had been stored for 40 days. 



At this point it is interesting to enquire further as to the cause of the 

 dormant condition of the maturing seed, and as to the reason why 

 drying terminates this dormant condition and renders possible immediate 

 germination and growth. 



No satisfactory answer to these questions is as yet forthcoming. 

 Maze (20), however, in a more recent paper ascribed the dormancy of 

 immature maize seeds placed under suitable germinating conditions 

 immediately after gathering to the presence of small quantities of 

 ethyl aldehyde in the cell-sap. He found small, but measurable, quantities 

 of this substance in the freshly gathered green seed, but was unable to 

 detect its presence in the same seed after drying. Maze {I.e.) found also 

 that when immature maize seed was artificially infected, with various 

 parasitic and saprophytic fungi (e.g. AspercjiUus, Mucor, Bolrylis, 

 Selerotinia, etc.) germination quickly ensued as compared with non- 

 11— 2 



