EXPERDIEXT STATION' EEPOKT. 515 



Experiments with Mutilated Squash Seeds. 



■'Hubbard'" squash seeds wore used, and the plan of the experi- 

 ment was as follows : 



Set A — Five seeds untreated. 

 " £ — " '' one-half (cotyledon end) removed. 

 " C — " " shell removed. 

 " D — " " root-end of shell removed. 

 " E — " " tip (cotyledon end) removed. 

 " F — " " starch coat removed. 



The first planting was made February 2d, and, aside from mutila- 

 tion, all the seeds were subjected to normal conditions. The first 

 signs of germination were noted nine days later — February 11th — 

 when the conditions of the several sets were as follows: 



In Set A, one seedling breaking through. 

 (I « n « « << « 



" " F, five seedlings " 



Xo signs of germination in Sets B, D or E. 



A second seedling appeared in Set A and another in Set B. 



The above series was duplicated in a second planting, February 

 6th, and eight days later — February 14th — four seedlings were break- 

 ing Through in Set A, one in Set E, and three in Set F. •> A few days 

 later the fifth untreated seed had germinated in Set A, and a fourth 

 in Set F. No plants developed in Sets B, C or D. 



The two trial plantings would suggest that the removal of the 

 outer starch-coat from the squash shell has little if any effect upon 

 the rate of germination or upon the vigor of the seedling plant. 



On January 30th five scraped and five untreated squash seeds were 

 planted in pots and subjected to the same conditions. On February 

 7th — eight days later — it was noted that there was a slight difference 

 in the rate of germination in favor of the untreated seeds; four of 

 which were out of the soil, erect and with cotyledons beginning to 

 expand. The fifth seedling had just broken through the soil, and 

 the cotyledons of the five seedlings from scraped seeds were not quite 

 out of the soil. On February 12th there was some contrast between 

 the two sets, owing to the "scraped" set being noticeably longer than 

 the untreated, a difference which was to be seen up to the third week, 

 when the plants were thrown away. 



