Apr. IS, 1920 Effect of Solution Reaction on Germination and Growth . 9 1 



TablS VI. — Number of seeds germinating and average green weight of sprouts from 



10 seeds— Q.antinne.6. 



CORN, 30 SEEDS TESTED 



Dish No. 



3-- 



4V. 



S-- 

 6.. 



7- 



I. . 

 2. . 



3 ■■ 



4. . 



5-- 

 6.. 



!■■ 



Small growth of mold, sprouts 



dead. 

 No mold. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



WHEAT, 25 SEEDS TESTED 



Much mold, sprouts dead. 

 Some mold. 

 No mold. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



While there is evidence of some abnormalities in the foregoing data, the 

 authors believe the following conclusions are justified : 



A reaction of 4. 1 1 Ph did not exert a depressing effect on the germina- 

 tion of any of the seeds studied as measured by the germination count 

 and the green weight of the sprouts at the end of the 7-day period. It 

 will be recalled that the same reaction was found to depress the growth 

 of seedlings of alfalfa, soybeans, corn, and wheat. Apparently the 

 process of gennination is not so susceptible to injury by acidity as 

 is the subsequent process of growth with these plants. 



A reaction of 2.96 Pg did not have any considerable effect upon the 

 number of seeds germinating but considerably reduced the weight of the 

 sprouts produced except with soybeans. In the latter case the roots had 

 begun to turn brown in color and die at the tips at the end of the 7-day 

 period. Some mold grew on the seeds in all dishes of this reaction. 



Swelling of all seeds took place in dishes having a reaction of 2.17 Ph, 

 and some small sprouts were produced from all seeds except those of 

 alfalfa. All sprouts were apparently dead at the end of the 7-day period, 

 and a severe growth of mold was present in all dishes of this reaction. 



A reaction of 7.71 Pq decreased to a slight extent the weight of sprouts 

 of all plants except alfalfa and wheat but did not appreciably lower the 

 number of seeds germinating. 

 164176°— 20 4 



