72 GERMINATION. 



germination water is decomposed, and most probably 

 air as well ; part of the oxygen so obtained combines 

 with some of the carbon of the seed, and carbonic acid 

 is evolved equal in volume to the oxygen so consumed ; 

 another part combines with the rest of the carbon, 

 and part of the hydrogen left free by the decompo- 

 sition of the water and acetic acid is given off, whilst 

 the rest of the hydrogen remains fixed; the fecula or 

 starchy matter becoming converted into sugar or sac- 

 charine material whilst these processes have been 

 going on. 



16. This conversion of the fecula into sugar during 

 the act of germination is of chief importance to remem- 

 ber, and it is this which we see taking place daily in 

 the process of malting, and in the following table from 

 Proust, it will be seen what changes ensue. 



Grain containing before Containing after 

 Germination. Germination. 



Yellow Resin 1 1 



Gum 4 15 



Sugar 5 15 



Gluten 3 1 



Starch 32 56 



Hordein 55 12 



Now, as Dr. R. D. Thomsons remarks, we may here 

 observe that the gum has increased 1 1 per cent, and the 

 sugar 10 per cent, thus affording 21 per cent of addi- 

 tional fermentable matter ; the gluten has diminished 2 

 per cent, and there is little doubt but that the original 

 quantity of starch ought to have been estimated at 8 

 per cent, and that hordein consists merely of starch 

 whose properties are obscured by the presence of gluten. 

 The additional gum is produced at the expense of the 

 starch, and the sugar proceeds first from the starch in 

 the form of gum, and then is transformed into sugar. 



17. In consequence of the carbonic acid evolved 

 during germination being equal in volume to the oxy- 

 gen employed, and as we know that C x O 2 = : C, or 

 O B + CD C = : C CD, a considerable quantity of spe- 



