131 



The topics dealt with were : The use of chemicals in hastening the germi- 

 nation of dormant buds such as those of tubers, bulbs and woody plants ; the 

 effect of such treatments upon the respiration, enzyme activity and chemical 

 composition of the plants; the application of these results to certain agri- 

 cultural practices, a particular instance being that of testing potato tubers 

 for the presence of disease in the interval between harvest in autumn and 

 planting time in the following spring. 



The reverse problem, that of inhibiting growth, inducing or prolonging 

 dormancy of buds, especially with potato tubers and gladiolus corms, was 

 shown to have a partial or complete solution, either by the conditions of 

 storage (with gladiolus), or by chemical treatment (as shown by the experi- 

 ments of J. D. Guthrie with potato tubers). 



A discussion was given of the results obtained by L. P. Miller showing 

 that glucosides were formed in the tissues of potato tubers and gladiolus 

 corms, as a result of treatment with ethylene chlorhydrin, by what appears 

 to be a detoxication mechanism, and that with other tissues and other 

 chemicals the product formed is a glycoside in which the sugar constituent 

 is not glucose but is the rather rare sugar gentiobiose. 



Finally, attention was directed to the effects of short periods of chilling, 

 6-24 hours at 0°-5°, in inducing germination of gladiolus corms the dor- 

 mancy of which had been prolonged for 1-2 years by the conditions of 

 storage, and to the periodic type of respiration rate which may be obtained 

 with the corms, after these long periods of dormancy, by merely alternately 

 removing the corms from the soil and returning them to it. 



The meeting was adjourned at 4 :45 P.M. to enjoy the tea served 

 by the Entertainment Committee and the New York Botanical 



Respectfully submitted, 



John W. Thomson, Jr. 

 Recording Secretary 



Minutes of the Meeting of April 1, 1941 



The meeting was called to order by the President, Dr. J. S. 

 Karling, at the American Museum of Natural History at 8:15 P.M. 

 Fifty-one members and friends were present. 



The minutes of the previous meeting were accepted as read. 



It was voted that the following be admitted by unanimous ballot 

 to membership in the Club : as annual members, Dr. M. M. Rhoades, 

 Dept. Botany, Columbia University, New York, N. Y. ; Mr. Calvin 

 G. Bliss, 95 Chambers St., New York, N. Y. ; Dr. Lauretta Fox, 

 Louisiana State Normal College, Natchitoches, La. ; and Mr. V. 

 Eugene Vivian, 190 Carrol St., Paterson, N. Y. ; and as associate 

 member, Dr. John R. Mee, 208 Elton St., Brooklyn, N. Y. 



