Studies on Growth and Cell Division in the 
Root of Vicia Faba. 
(WITH PLATE XVIII.) 
By BLANCHE GARDNER, B. S. 
These studies were originally undertaken to determine the 
growth of the root under varied environmental conditions ; 
but during the progress of the work, several additional inter- 
esting lines of study have suggested themselves. So the work 
has been extended, and can now be grouped under the fol- 
lowing heads : 
A. Daily Periodicity of Growth in Roots. 
B. Relative Growth of Roots in Different Chemical Solutions. 
C. Cell Division. 
The studies on the root of Vicia Kaba were suggested to 
me by Professor J. M. Macfarlane and I wish here to 
acknowledge my indebtedness to him for suggestions and 
criticisms of my work. 
A. Dairy PERIODICITY OF GROWTH IN ROOTS. 
To determine the rate of growth in roots, during day and 
night, a series of experiments were performed in which seed- 
lings of the broad bean (Meza Fada) and of the pea (Pesum 
sativum) were used. The seeds were germinated in moist 
sawdust. When the roots reached a length of about one to 
one anda half inches, they were used for experimentation. 
Wooden boxes, with one side of glass, were loosely packed 
with the moist sawdust, and in these the seedlings were 
placed with the root in a horizontal position against the sur- 
face of the glass. Marks could therefore easily and accurately 
be made on the glass at different hours of the day. The 
roots were thus arranged, and observations were usually made 
from IO A. M. to 4 P. M. and at g A. M. the following day. In 
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