THE A WAKENING OF THE SEED 17 



that there are no openmgs or cracks through which 

 water can enter; be careful that no water enters 

 the boat at the rim. To imitate natural conditions 

 more closely, place some boats on the surface of moist 

 soil, pressing them down firmly. Test as many kinds 

 of seed as possible. 



Does the germ (or endosperm) possess the power to 

 draw water through the cover as the sugar does ? Repeat 

 the experiment, substituting the ordinary seed- content 

 (either a part or the whole) for the sugar: be sure 

 that it is in close contact with the cover.' Weigh it 

 at the beginning of the experiment, and repeat the 

 weighing at frequent intervals to discover how much 

 water it has absorbed. Notice also whether it softens 

 or appears moist. 



The sugar, when placed in the boats as described 

 above, seems to have the power to draw the water 

 through the seed- cover; but if sugar were dissolved 

 in the water on which the boats are floating, would it 

 not exert a counter-attraction, and tend to prevent 

 the water from being drawn^ up through the seed- 

 cover? Prepare some boats (all from the same kind 

 of seed-cover) ; place sugar in them and float some 

 on pure water, others on a thick syrup made of sugar 

 and water. Many other substances besides sugar have 

 a strong attraction for water: the germ contains 



1 The sugar is spoken of as drawing or attracting the water in a popular 

 sense only. 



