178 EXPOSED WATER AND FRESHLY FALLEN RAIN 



than those not exposed, but from this time on, though the conditions 

 in the two cultures were maintained as nearly identical as possible 

 as regards light, temperature, and moisture, and though the seeds 

 of the two sets were of uniform size, the plants from seeds soaked in 

 the rain-water grew much more rapidly, and, on June 18, the relative 

 heights of the plants in the two cultures were as represented in the 

 photograph (figure 45). 



Fig. 45. Experiment 54. Increased Growth of Zca Mays, following a ten-day 

 Retardation, after the Seeds (before planting) were soaked in freshly fallen Rain 

 Water. 



Summary 



The experiments show that when corn grains were soaked for 

 24 hrs. in water exposed for 26.5 hrs. to radium rays growth was 

 accelerated. The water exposed to the stronger radium caused the 

 greater acceleration. With seeds of Lupinus albus similarly treated, 

 the effects were very slight, but the same in kind as with corn. 

 Oats seemed to be slightly retarded at first, but four or five days after 

 the planting the oats soaked in the exposed water were much taller 

 than the control plants, and tallest after soaking in the water exposed 

 to the strongest radium. 



In a similar experiment, after 40 hrs. of soaking in water pre- 

 viously exposed for 24 hrs., oats were accelerated from the begin- 



