52 



"By means of lantern slides the work on growth substances 

 was briefly reviewed and then recent findings were presented, 

 under three headings as follows: 1. Extraction and identification 

 of applied growth substances. 2. ElTect of growth substances on 

 storage organs. 3. Activation of chemicals with ultra-violet light. 



"Three of the most important growth substances (a-naph- 

 thaleneacetic acid, indoleacetic acid, and indolebutyric acid) 

 were applied to plants in various ways and extracted, tested, 

 and identified at later dates. After gladiolus corms had been 

 treated they grew shoots and roots. The new organs were ex- 

 tracted 24 days after treatment and found to contain the sub- 

 stance. In general the extracts were tested for physiological 

 activity and identified by the colorimetric test and X-ray dif- 

 fraction patterns. 



"Bulbs, corms, tubers and storage roots were induced to grow 

 an abnormally large number of roots from treatment with sev- 

 eral growth substances. Phenylacetic acid was shown to break 

 the dormancy of Helianthus tuhersosus tubers, while naph- 

 thaleneacetic acid induced an abnormally large number of roots. 



The trans form of cinnamic acid is not physiologically active 

 but became active after treatment with ultra-violet light. Light 

 changes trans to cis cinnamic acid which is the active form. 



Plants treated with the trans cinnamic acid and then placed 

 in the dark did not respond, but when placed in light made a 

 pronounced physiological response. This indicates that the 

 chemical is activated after it is applied to the plant. 



"The lecture closed with time-lapse motion pictures showing 

 plants responding to growth substances. The most striking was, 

 perhaps, the Kalanchoe plant showing treatment of a part of 

 the stem with growth substance which induced roots to grow 

 from the treated region." 



The meeting adjourned at 5 p.m. 



Clyde Chandler 

 Recording Secretary 



The Annual Meeting — January 3, 1939 



The annual dinner of The Torrey Botanical Club was held 

 at the Men's Faculty Club of Columbia University on January 

 3 at 6 P.M. The business meeting was called to order at 7:10 

 P.M. by President Gunderson with 58 persons present. 



