90 THE VITALITY AND GERMINATION OF SEEDS. 



(24) The continued deterioration in the vitality of a seed after res- 

 piration has ceased indicates a chemical activit}^ within the cells, giving 

 rise to a transformation of energy which sooner or later leads to the 

 death of the seed. 



(25) Respiration is almost as active in the dark as in the light, pro- 

 vided that the temperature and humidity remain the same. 



(26) Ferments and seeds lose all power of activity under similar 

 conditions of moisture, and the former are undoubtedly of the utmost 

 importance in metabolic activity, but the evidence at hand goes to 

 show that the life of a seed is not dependent on the preservation of 

 the particular ferment involved or on the zymogenic substances giving 

 rise to the enzyme. 



(27) The life of a 'seed is undoubtedly dependent on many factors, 

 but the one important factor governing the longevity of good seed is 

 dryness. 



LITERATURE CITED. 



BONNIER, G., et MANGIN, Louis. La fonction respiratoire chez les v6ge"taux. Ann. 



sc. nat. bot., se>. 7, 2: 365-380, 1885. 

 BORNEMANN, G. Versuche iiber Erhaltung der Keimfiihigkeit bei importirten Samen 



von Wasserpflanzen wahrend des Transportes. Gartenflora, 35: 532-534, 1886. 



Also abstract in Bot. Jahresber., Jahrg. XIV, Abt. I, p. 132, 1886. 

 BROWN, HORACE T., and ESCOMBE, F. Note on the influence of very low tempera- 

 tures on the germinative power of seeds. Proc. Roy. Soc. London, 62: 160-165, 



1897-98. 



On the depletion of the endosperm of Hordeum vulgare during germination. 



Proc. Roy. Soc. London, 63: 3-25, 1898. 



and MORRIS, M. Germination of some of the Graminess. Jour. Chem. Soc. 



London, 57: 458-528, 1890. 

 DAMMER, U. Verpackung und Versandt von Samen, welche ihre Keimkraft schnell 



verlieren. Zeitschr. f. trop. Landw., Bd. 1, No. 2, 1897. Abstract in Bot. 



Centralbl., 70: 196-197, 1897. 

 DE CANDOLLE, AUG. PYR. Physiologic ve"gtale (Conservation des graines), v. 2, p. 



618, Paris, 1832. 

 DE CANDOLLE, C. Sur la vie latente des graines. Arch, des sci. phys. et nat., ser. 4, 



33: 497-512, 1895. Abstract in Amer. Gard., 18: 339, 1897. 



- La vie latente des graines. Revue scientifique, se>. 4, 4: 321-326, 1895. 



The latent vitality of seeds. Pop. Sci. Monthly, 51: 106-111, 1897. 



et PICTET, R. Recherches concernant 1' action des basses temperatures sur la 

 faculty germinative des graines. Arch, des sci. phys. et nat., s4r. 3, 2: 629-632, 

 1879. Abstract in Just's Botan. Jahresber., Jahrg. VII, Abt. 1, p. 253, 1879. 



Action d'un grand froid prolong^ sur des graines. Arch, des sci. phys. et 



nat., se>. 3, 11: 325-327, 1884. Abstract in Just's Bot. Jahresber., Jahrg. XII, 



Abt. 1, p. 26, 1884. 

 DETMER, W. Vergleichende Physiologic des Keimungsprocesses der Samen, Jena, 



1880. 



DEWAR and MCKENDRICK. On liquid air. Proc. Roy. Inst., 12: 699, 1892. 

 DIXON, H. H. Vitality of seeds. Nature, 64: 256-257, 1901. 



