8 STUDIES IN SEEDS AND FRUITS 



find that the water-percentage for the coats was often greater 

 than for the kernel. Before long it was realised that materials 

 were gathering for a complete statement, as far as the indica- 

 tions of the balance and the oven went, of the part played by 

 On the way water in the economy of the seed from its immaturity through 

 struction of i^s rest-period to the germinating stage. I was in fact on my 

 ^Jj^ ''^s:»me of ^^y |.Q |.|^g construction of the seed's regime in passing from 

 and swelling the unripe to the resting state and thence on to the germinating 

 condition. 



Whilst engaged in this inquiry I took advantage of my 

 oven-experiments for the determination of the water-contents 

 of seeds to investigate further the curious fact that certain 

 seeds after being subjected in a broken condition to a 

 temperature of ioo° C, being thus deprived of their free 

 water, not only regained all the lost water from the air, but in 

 a few days were markedly heavier than in the entire state. 

 This was found to be common with leguminous seeds 

 possessing impervious coverings. The unexpected results of 

 an experiment on the seeds of Entada scandens^ which belong 

 to this type, threw fresh light on the matter. Separate 

 samples of the coats and kernel were subjected to the oven- 

 test, when the first experienced a loss of weight of about 15 

 per cent., and the second of about 10 per cent. They were 

 then left exposed for five days on a table, together with 

 samples of the coats and kernel which had not been heated. 

 It was then found that in all cases, whether with the heated 

 or unheated materials, the samples were considerably heavier 

 than before the experiment, the weight of the coats in both 

 cases being increased 2 or 3 per cent., and that of the kernels 

 3 to 5 per cent. There was, therefore, an inherent tendency 

 in both the coats and the kernel when separated from each 

 other to increase their weight by absorbing water from the air, 

 a tendency unimpaired by a previous loss of all the free water 

 through exposure to a temperature of 100° C. In other 

 words, the seed in the broken condition held more water than 

 in the entire state, and whether or not exposed to the heat-test. 



