


1901 | LFFECT OF HYDROCYANIC ACID GAS 251 
germinate four months longer, or one year from the beginning of 
the experiment (jig. 3,4). In general it may be stated that the 
length of time that dry seeds retain their ability to germinate 
varies inversely with the strength of gas to which the seeds are 
subjected. Likewise the converse of this is true, viz., that the 
strength of gas that will prevent seeds from germinating varies 
inversely with the time that the seeds are subjected to the influ- 
ence of the gas. These rules are stated only for the seeds that 
are subjected to the gas under the foregoing conditions, and will 
not apply with certainty to seeds underother conditions. It should 
be stated in this connection that the seeds in the control jar did 
not germinate quite normally either in percentage or point of 
time at the end of twelve months (fg. 3,@). To what this 
slight variation was due has not yet been determined, but it does 
not seem probable that it was sufficient to affect the results in 
the jars containing the gas. Seeds from the original packages 
not inclosed in a jar germinated normally, z. ¢., 100 per cent. in 
twenty-four hours. 
EXPERIMENTS WITH MOIST SEEDS. 
Since it may sometimes be necessary to fumigate grain or 
other seeds while in a moist condition, experiments were 
undertaken for the purpose of determining what effect hydro- 
cyanic acid gas would have upon seeds that had been soaked 
for a longer or shorter time in water. After soaking the seeds 
the following conditions were observed, viz., the damp seeds 
were left to germinate in the gas which was of different 
strengths in different jars; they were then placed for a time 
in the gas of different strengths and then removed to a gas 
free atmosphere. 
Damp seeds allowed to remain in hydrocyanic acid gas.— 
By referring to tables III, IV, and V it will be seen that 
the seeds were soaked for different lengths of time, and 
that they were subjected to atmospheres of gas of different 
Strengths. 
