498 



TRANSACTIONS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE [Sess. lx. 



used in germination is increased. So it appears that with 

 the larger quantities of moisture, the embryo increases 

 more in weight for the same amount of carbonic anhydride 

 exhaled than it does when less moisture is present. This 

 feature is well brought out in Table I. 



4. The Amount of Moisture in the Endosperm and in 

 the Embryo at the end of the Germinative Period. — Eoughly 

 speaking, the percentage of moisture found in the embryo 

 at the end of the germinative period, was always nearly 

 double of that found in the endosperms, the disparity 

 being always greatest the smaller the quantity of moisture 

 employed in the experiment. Thus, for Scotch Chevalier 

 barley, steeped 24 hours with 35-90 per cent, moisture, 

 gave, after germination, endosperms with 3 2 •64 per cent, 

 moisture, and embryos with 6 3 '60 per cent, moisture; the 

 ratio between the two being 1-95. The same barley, 

 steeped for 96 hours with 44-78 per cent, moisture, gave, 

 after germination, endosperms with 38-56 per cent, 

 moisture, and embryos with 68-46 per cent, moisture; the 



•2i Hi 



9C Hrs. 



48 Hrs. 72 Hrs. 



Fig. 2. 



ratio between the two being 1-78. Table III. gives a 

 complete review of all the results obtained under this 

 head. Three experiments to ascertain the initial amount 

 of moisture in the embryos, immediately after steeping for 

 72 hours, and before germination had commenced, showed 

 about 60 per cent., a quantity considerably below any 

 recorded in Table III. The results of the moisture deter- 

 minations seem to show that the new forming tissue 

 cannot grow with any degree of success unless the moisture 

 it contains is above 63 per cent. All the barley which 

 had only a 24 hours' steep, grew to a very slight extent. 

 The above accompanying rough figure (Fig. 2) will convey 

 an idea of the amount of growth for different lengths of 

 steep after 14 or 15 days' germination at 57° E. 



