80 



HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. 



[Jan. 



No further germination took place in the untreated seeds 

 after the fifth day. 



Table VII. — Showing the Effects of Leucin Solutions upon the 

 Germination of Alfalfa Seeds (Medicago sativa). 



STRENGTH OF SOLUTION. 



Percentage of Germination (in Days). 



(24 Hours) . 



Normal, . 

 1 per cent., 

 .5 per cent., 

 .25 per cent., 

 .1 per cent., 

 .05 per cent.. 



Normal average (per cent.), 90.0 



Leucin average (per cent.), 97.0 



No further germination took place in the untreated seeds 

 after the third day. Another experiment with alfalfa gave 

 89 per cent, for the normal and 98 per cent, for the treated 

 seeds. The average of the three leucin experiments gave 83 

 per cent, for the normal and 92 per cent, for the treated. 

 The various solutions of leucin had no injurious effect on the 

 seeds. 



Experiments with Pepsin Solutions. 



Pepsin is a proteolytic ferment (enzyme) , found in some 

 seeds during germination, and is capable of converting non- 

 diffusible proteids into diffusible ones. The seeds in the 

 experiments shown in the two tables. VIII. and IX., were 

 treated as in the preceding ones. 



Table VIII. — Showing the Effects of Pepsin Solutions iipoyi the 

 Germinatioyi of Crimson Clover Seeds (Trifolium incarna- 

 tvm L.). 



STRENGTH OF SOLUTION. 



Percentage of Germination (in Days). 



(24 Hours) 



Normal, . 

 5 per cent., 

 2.5 per cent., 

 1 per cent., 

 .5 per cent., 

 .25 per cent., 

 .1 per cent., 



21 

 22 

 19 

 26 

 27 

 23 

 25 



Normal average (per cent.), 

 Pepsin average (per cent.) , 



28.00 

 41 33 



