38 



MISSOURI AGR. EXP. STA. RESEARCH BULLETIN NO. 21 



case, the tissue does not necessarily lose weight since the water 

 remains within the twig. 1 



A dose of ether resulting in breaking the rest period has practi- 

 cally no desiccating effect on the tissue as may be seen from the 

 data in Table 12. These data are typical. The figures show no 

 difference in loss of moisture from treated and untreated twigs. 

 When a very strong dose of ether was used, beads of liquid sometimes 

 exuded from the tissue. Such treatment, however, did not break the 

 rest period but injured the twigs beyond recovery. 



TABLE 12 WEIGHTS IN GRAMS OF ETHERIZED AND UNTREATED APPLE TWIGS 



* The twigs were weighed when collected and again after the preliminary 

 treatment, which lasted twenty-four hours. 



2. Color Change in Etherized and Untreated Apple Twigs. On 

 November 24, 1913, also on March 9, 1914, one-year-old Ben Davis 

 apple twigs were collected. One lot of each collection was etherized 

 for twenty-four hours. After an interval of five days in each ex- 

 periment, all twigs were immersed in distilled water at a temperature 

 of 35 C. The notes taken on the first experiment read as follows: 

 "After six hours from the time twigs were placed in water the bud 

 scales and the shoulder just below the buds of the etherized 

 specimens are becoming yellowish; the internodes remain normal 

 reddish brown. The untreated twigs are normal reddish brown 

 thruout. After eighteen hours all etherized twigs are entirely 

 yellow. All untreated twigs are normal reddish brown thruout. 

 After three days the bud scales and the bud shoulders of the un- 

 treated twigs are becoming yellow. After five days the untreated 

 twigs are entirely yellow, the color being similar to that shown by 

 etherized twigs after eighteen hours." 



In the last experiment the following observations were recorded: 

 "After twenty-four hours the bud scales and bud shoulders of 

 treated twigs show a yellowish color while the remaining parts of 

 the twigs are reddish brown. The untreated twigs are normal in 

 color. After two days the treated twigs are yellow thruout except 



1. Chandler, W. H. Freezing of Plant Tissue. Research Bui. No. 8, 

 Mo. Agr. Exp. Station (1914). 



