1918] 
BONNS—ETHERIZATION: AND ENZYME ACTIVITY 283 
seeds, 125 in each lot, were used, one being etherized, the other 
serving as control. The procedure and dosage were the same 
as in the foregoing experiments, except that the jars con- 
taining the material stood at room temperature of about 30* 
C. Before placing in the jars each lot of seed was wiped 
between filter paper to remove excess moisture, and weighed. 
Both jars contained a filter paper sufficiently moist to pre- 
vent injury to the seeds by drying out. At the close of the 
experiment the seeds were again wiped and weighed. The 
following data were obtained: 
TABLE VI 
EFFECT OF ETHERIZATION ON THE WEIGHT OF GERMINATING BARLEV 
Original | Weight in gms. | Gain in weight 
па На P weight at end of Remarks 
E in gms. experiment Gms. | Percent 
Plumules 
1.5-2 cm. 
Etherized 125 8.43 9.95 1452 ] - 19.0 long, etio- 
lated. No 
growth of 
radicles. 
Plumules 
2-3.5 cm. 
Control 125 7.90 9.50 1.60 | 20.2 | long, partly | 
een. Radicles 
about e 
n 
It is evident from the figures above that there was no de- 
hydration as the result of etherization. On the contrary, both 
lots of seed took up water from the paper in the jars, as indi- 
cated by the definite gains in weight. The relative difference 
in gain, however, is not especially significant, and probably 
falls within the range of experimental error, considering the 
fact that in both weighings moist seeds were involved. The 
most definite results appear in the difference in growth of the 
two lots of seeds, as indicated in the last column of the table. 
We have here а corroboration of the findings of other workers 
in this field, of the inhibitive effect of ether on germinating 
seeds. 
For the experiments with carbohydrate substrates, two lots 
of selected barley seeds, weighing 150 grams each, were dis- 
