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of varying strength, on the germination of seeds. Accordingly, as a pre- 
liminary investigation, I began in connection with Mr. C. EH. Crockett, a 
student in the department, a careful series of such experiments with the 
seeds of grains and other plants. 
All of the details of the experiments were carefully arranged to prevent 
a possibility of error and a very pure solution of formalin was secured. In 
all cases parallel experiments were conducted and check tests made with 
the seeds soaked in pure water. ; 
The work was carried on in the green house, where the soil was kept 
at a nearly constant temperature. The seedlings usually began to appear 
above the ground by the fifth day, and were measured daily for two weeks, 
then weekly until well advanced in their development. Seeds were grown 
both in pure sand and rich earth to determine the possible effects of soils 
on the treated specimens, but in all of the experiments no difference was 
noticed from such varying conditions, as the seeds planted in the sand 
compared in every respect in their behavior with those grown in rich soil. 
In all cases the temperature of the solution in which the seeds were soaked 
was about 19° C. 
With the wheat 4% and 2 per cent. solutions were used, and the time 
of treatment varied from one-half to four hours. The results show that of 
the seeds soaked in the % per cent. solution for one-half hour, 76 per cent. 
germinated; for one hour, 56 per cent., and for 314% hours, 36 per cent. 
While of those treated for one hour in a 2 per cent. solution none ger- 
minated. 
Wheat seemed to be about the most easily affected by the formalin of 
any seed, and even the use of a 1% per cent. solution for one-half hour 
is not safe. A 4 per cent. solution for about this length of time will prove 
the most satisfactory. 
The results of the experiments showed that the plants of the treated 
seeds developed as rapidly and perfectly as those of the untreated ones. 
In a few instances, where retarded germination was evident as a result 
of this treatment, the plants soon made up this deficiency and at the 
end of two weeks could not be distinguished from the others. The fact 
that wheat was one of the easiest affected of any of the grains is no 
doubt due to the very imperfect protection of its embryo. 
With oats, of those soaked in a % per cent. solution for one-half hour, 
96 per cent. of treated and a less number of untreated germinated, and 
10—ScIENCE. 
