140 



GERMINATION 



A week later the shoots became dark in colour and 

 unhealthy looking. Black fluid oozed from the positive 

 needle (electrolysis) and a wet patch surrounded the point 

 a ; a hard lump forming about b. 



In seventeen days the top shoots had become quite fibroid 

 and the side one fell off. 



Measurements were taken showing the tuber to have 

 shrunk 15 cm. each way. The following is an illustration 

 of it in section : 





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In both these experiments electrification was continued 

 for twenty days ; the first with 3 and the second with 1 . 5 

 volts. 



Some three days after it had been cut a white mould 

 appeared upon the area marked " semi-fluid " in the illustra- 

 tion, and elsewhere there was a noticeable absence of the 

 starch-like secretion which a healthy potato throws out 

 upon cut surfaces. The following is a drawing of the same 

 half of the tuber ten days after cutting : 



I next took a comparatively young tuber without any 

 shoots and gave it twenty da3^s' electrification with 2.5 



