THE ETHERIZATION OF PL.-SlNTS. 79 



Avas secured while in others there was an apparent retardation. 

 The data included in the appended tables I and II are presented 

 more for the purpose of illustrating the passage of the after rest 

 period as indicated by the gradually decreasing number of days 

 from time of treatment to date of bloom and leaf growth, than to 

 show the growth acceleration imparted to the plants by the anes- 

 thetics used. However, the hastening of the blooming period is 

 interesting because it is correlated with the economic phase of plant 

 forcing. It was found that a twenty-two day growth acceleration 

 was obtained from plants of Charles X lilac, etherized November 13, 

 while only a three day increase resulted from those treated Decem- 

 ber 19. The chloroformed plants varied from a twenty-two days 

 gain obtained from November 13 treatment to a six days increase 

 from a December 4 treatment. This latter increase was exactly 

 identical to that secured from the ether treatment made on same 

 date. Less satisfactory results were secured from lilac INIarie 

 Legraye but the influence of the passage of the after rest period 

 was just as apparent. Plants etherized November 13 gave a growth 

 acceleration of twelve days, whereas those etherized December 4 

 were only hastened four days. Considering this data in another 

 light we find that control plants of lilac Charles X placed in the 

 house November 13 came into bloom January 1, while those placed 

 in the house December 19 came into bloom on January 15. In 

 the first case it took forty-nine days to bring them into bloom, while 

 in the latter it only took twenty-seven days, or a difference under 

 practically identical conditions of twenty-two days. 



By way of explanation of the comparatively slow forcing of the 

 lilacs even of those treated it should be stated that the temperature 

 of the room in which the forcing was done could not be maintained 

 much higher than 60 degrees F. at night, whereas to have forced 

 them most quickly they should have been subjected to a night 

 temperature of at least 70 degrees F. However, as both treated 

 and untreated plants were subjected to similar treatment the results 

 obtained are a fair expression of the effects of treatment. 



By reference to the data upon astilbe in table II, we find very 

 similar results to those secured from the lilacs, that is the time 

 element gradually diminishes as the season advances until we find 

 verv little gain from the use of anesthetics. In the first treatment 



