1901.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 75 



connection with the normal condition of the enzymes or fer- 

 ments, which are essential for the conversion of certain seed 

 products into availal)le forms for germination. It is with 

 this idea in mind that our experiments with solutions have 

 been conducted ; and the solutions selected have been those 

 which are known to exist in many seeds and seedlings as 

 ferments or enzymes, termed diatase, pepsin, trypsin and 

 others, and amides, such as asparagin, leucin, etc. With 

 the exception of diatase, all of the chemicals used in making 

 these solutions were obtained from Mercks, the diatase being 

 made up from malt. These experiments are by no means as 

 complete as desired, but circumstances did not permit of 

 their continuation at the time they were made. 



Experiments with Asparagin Solutions. 

 Asparagin is a typical amide, found in connection with 

 many seedlings and storage organs. During germination the 

 amides increase in some instances to a considerable extent. 

 Asparagin is especially abundant in leguminous seedlings, 

 and is believed to play an important part in metabolism. 

 The following tables, I. to V., represent the effects of aspar- 

 agin solution upon dift'erent seeds which display considerable 

 variation in their germinating capacity. One hundred seeds 

 were used in all instances for each strength of solution, and 

 the strength of solution varied in each experiment from . 1 to 

 2 per cent. The seeds were soaked in asparagin twelve 

 hours, after which they were rinsed with water and placed 

 in Zurich germinators excluded from the light in a room with 

 fairly even temperature. The number of seed germinating 

 each day were taken out and recorded, no observations l)eing 

 made previous to twenty-four hours after placing them in 

 the germinator. In many instances the number of ol^serva- 

 tions have been omitted in the tallies, to save space, and the 

 percentages in the last columns give the final results. The 

 relative gain, however, during this period, is practically the 

 same as that preceding it. The seeds were in every instance 

 left a few days or a week longer, in order to see if any more 

 would germinate. We endeavored to select seed wliich did 

 not show a high percentage of germination, but in every case 

 this was not accomplished. 



