: 
THE 
SCIENTIFIC PROCEEDINGS 
OF 
THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY. 
—— 
1. 
THE EFFECT OF VERY LOW TEMPERATURES ON 
MOIST SEEDS. 
By J. ADAMS, M.A., 
Assistant in Botany, Royal College of Science, Dublin. 
[Read, Apri 20; Received for Publication, Apri 22; Published, July 31, 105.] 
SzEDs belonging to seven species—namely, pea, barley, flax, 
_ swede, red clover, meadow fescue, and timothy—were chosen for 
the experiments. The seeds were enclosed in a cloth and buried 
in moist soil for three days, so that they might absorb water 
slowly. ‘These moist seeds were then divided into three lots, A, 
©, D. A fourth lot, B, of dry seeds, was also taken. Lot A, 
contained in a cloth, was gradually cooled down by evaporating 
ether to — 4° C. and then immersed in liquid air for 233 hours. 
Lot B, also rolled in cloth, was immersed in the liquid air for 24 
hours without previous cooling. The seeds of lot C were enclosed in 
a small, corked bottle which was plunged directly into liquid air, 
where it remained for six hours. Lot D was not subjected to 
cooling. ‘The three lots of seeds, after being taken out of the liquid 
air, were enclosed in a vacuum-jacketed vessel to cool slowly. On 
examining the seeds, the only external change noticeable was that 
two of the peas in lot A had the seed-coat ruptured. The seeds 
' SCIENT. PROC., R.D.S., VOL. XI.) NO. I. B 
