1915] 



MERRILL DISTILLED WATER 463 



gations reported in this paper, which, as previously stated, 

 are but preliminary in their nature, but which have given 

 indications leading to the conception of an idea differing 

 somewhat from the majority of those above mentioned re- 

 garding the relation between plants and distilled water. This 

 conception will be briefly mentioned here, while the evidence 

 and a further discussion will be given later; it is that pure 

 distilled water is not harmful or injurious per se, but that 

 because of the static condition forced upon them as a con- 

 sequence of the absence of plant food, the growing cells 

 become disorganized and thus become easy prey to bacterial 

 and fungous action. Excretion of electrolytes does occur but 

 this should be considered merely as a concomitant condition, 

 or resulting effect of the conditions under which the plants 

 are placed, and should not be considered as a cause of degen- 

 eration unless the electrolytes themselves be toxic. 



III. Methods 

 (Germination, Culture, and Conductivity) 



Canada field peas (Pisum sativum) and horse beans (Vicia 

 faba), the small variety, were the plants selected, as both 

 were known to be well adapted for growth in solution cultures. 

 Of the various methods of seed sterilization tried out, the one 

 in which the seeds were treated with 1-600 formalin-water 

 for 15 minutes after being soaked for 24 hours in running 

 water gave best satisfaction. 



For germinating the seeds a modification of the method 

 used by Boussingault ('74), and also by various investigators 

 in the Bureau of Soils, was employed. This consisted in the 

 use of ordinary enameled-ware pans about 12 inches in 

 diameter and 3 inches in height, filled with tap water and 

 covered with 6 X 6-mesh galvanized iron "hardware cloth," 

 on which the previously soaked and sterilized seeds were 

 placed. The seeds were then covered with filter paper or 

 paper towelling which was kept moist throughout the ger- 

 mination process or until the radicles reached the water below. 

 The germination was carried on in the greenhouse. In the 



