began to unfold, and they afterwards grew well, if 

 duly exposed to the air ; but when retained in this 

 situation for a few days, their outer coats began to 

 separate ; the water in each phial emitted a putrid 

 smell, and, on being added to lime-water, threw 

 down a copious precipitate, after which germination 

 did not take place. Mr Gough ascertained, that af- 

 ter five days steeping in water at 46, and even in for- 

 ty-eight hours, at temperatures from 60 to 66, pu- 

 trefaction in seeds came on, under which carbonic acid 

 and carburetted hydrogen gases were produced, and 

 the faculty of germinating was then destroyed *. 

 M. Huber found also, that both in boiled and distil- 

 led water, a small degree of germination might be 

 made to take place in peas ; but during their submer- 

 sion, the radicles never increased beyond three or 

 four lines, after which they began to decompose, 

 carbonic acid being first produced, and afterwards 

 carburetted hydrogen gas. The whole substance of 

 the pea, with the exception of its membranes, is, ac- 

 cording to Saussure, reduced into these two gases f- 

 It is evident from these facts, that the presence of 

 water alone, is essential to the commencement of 

 germination ; and that if its application be too long 

 and exclusively continued, it disposes to putrefac- 

 tion. 



2. Besides water, a certain degree of heat is ne- 

 cessary also to the germinating process ; for no seed 



* Manchester Memoirs, vol. iv. 



f Mem. stir la Germination, par M. M. Huber et Sennebier. 

 p. 128, 157. 



