1906] SPALDING—ABSORPTION OF WATER BY LEAVES 269 
1905, they were all in healthy condition, and when taken up were 
found to have fine vigorous roots. In addition to the cotyledons, 
which were still capable of photosynthesis, each seedling had two 
or three perfectly healthy green leaves that had attained the length 
of about one centimeter. The seedlings were transplanted into 
earth contained in glass vials of convenient size for accurate weigh- 
ing, sheet rubber being used to prevent evaporation from the soil. 
In the case of seedling number 1 the earth was very moist when 
the rubber was adjusted, and it was found that this plant, which was 
transpiring vigorously, showed almost no capacity for absorption. 
The case was different with seedling number 2, which was left some 
five days after transplanting with the soil open to the air, so that 
it became relatively dry before the rubber was adjusted. The coty- 
ledons of number 1 were removed, their place of attachment being 
carefully covered with vaseline; number 2 had one large cotyledon 
which remained in place during the experiment. These details are 
necessary to an understanding of the different behavior of the two 
seedlings as shown by Tables III and IV, which cover the period 
from January 21 to February 1, at which latter date the experiment 
_ Was concluded. 
It is seen that both seedlings transpired regularly and largely, 
but that number 1, in spite of the fact that its transpiring surface 
had been lessened by the loss of its cotyledons, exhibited a decidedly 
higher rate of transpiration than number 2, which was in drier 
TABLE Iii. 
CELTIS PALLIDA. SEEDLING No.1. January 1905. 
Date Time Weight in! 7 o¢s or gain Conditions 
grams 
Jan. 21 | 1:19 P.M. | 26.256 seit ; 
4:05 26.229 | 0.027loss_ | After standing in dry air 
23 | 10:15 A.M. | 26. PoE 5, ed Ps fe yet, Mer, 
2:50 P.M. | 26.061 | 0.033 “ ~ Pw ee 
25 10:50 A. M. 25.936 0.125 ce “ce “ce “ec oe “cc 
26 9.50 2 ;.870 0.066 “c ee &e tS te ee 
27 9:28 25.806 0.064 “ “ “ (2 ied | eae 
2:53 P.M. | 25.810 | 0.004 gain After wetting i 
3:41 25.803 | 0.007 loss standing i in dry air 
28 | 11:02 A.M. | 25.762 | 0.041 “ x gulp eae ba 
13:33 P.M. | 25.764 | 0.002 gain ns ng f 
2:58 25.759 | 0.005 loss ie) cia divaie 
