63. 



with the water, This was done in order to determine the water 

 a"bsorbing power of each surface of the leaf.As previously 

 done, the leaves were wei^^ed daily for one week. At the end 

 of this test the average percent of gain for each group 

 was then calculated. 



In the second experiment the method was somewhat modified. 

 Instead of using calcium chloride as the drying agent, sulphuric 

 acid was used since hy means of this acid it was possible 

 to establish different degrees of drying, Forty cubic centimeters 

 of concentrated sulphuric acid (lOO^) constituted the drying 

 agent in the first mason jar which was sealed tightly by 

 a pso'affined cork,From the inner side of the cork eight leaf 

 blades were suspended from hooks fastened in the cork,Of the 

 eight leaves, two were vasalined on both sides, two on the 

 upper side only, two on the lower side only, and two remained 

 uncoated for control.In no case were the leaves allowed to be 

 close to the acid; they v;ere generally about six centimeters 

 above the acid, The leaves in the second jar w^ere similarly 

 arranged but this contained forty cubic centimeters of 

 diluted sulphuric acid in the proportion of one part o i 

 water to three parts of acid (75^), A third jar contained 

 a like quantity of half water and half acid (50^); a fourth 

 contained one part of acid to three parts of water {25%); 

 a fifth one part of acid to nine parts of water (10^); and 

 a sixth jar contained only distilled water (00^). Thus, each 



