Influence of Certain Carbohydrates on Green Plants 23 



No very appreciable differences were obtained with the different sugars; 

 apparently the glucose was slightly the most beneficial. 



TABLE 2. Influence of Various Sugars on Growth of Corn 



(Plants grown in the dark. Duration, December 20 to January 19, 1914, thirty days. 

 Original weight of seed, 0.296 gram ± 10 miUigrams) 



Culture solution 



Number 



of 

 plants 



Average 

 length 

 of tops 

 (centi- 

 meters) 



Dry 

 weight 

 of tops 

 (grams) 



_ 



Dry 



weight 



of roots 



(grams) 



Total 



dry 



weight 



(grams) 



Average 

 weight 



per 



plant 



(grams) 



fl 



Check (no sugar) ■ . ■{ 2 



3 



4 

 4 

 4 

 4 

 4 

 4 

 3 

 4 

 4 



50.7 

 47.5 

 50.5 

 61.5 

 69.0 

 58.7 

 67.0 

 64.0 

 58.0 



0.400 

 0.400 

 0.440 

 0.650 

 0.735 

 0.580 

 0.450 

 0.715 

 0.580 



0.180 

 0.260 

 0.210 

 0.580 

 0.370 

 0.450 

 0.370 

 0.310 

 0.410 



0.580 

 0.660 

 0.650 

 1.230 

 1.105 

 1.030 

 0.820 

 1.025 

 0.990 



0.145 

 0.165 

 0.162 



Glucose, 2 per cent < ^ 



0.307 

 276 



Fructose, 2 per cent 



0.257 





0.273 



Maltose, 2 per cent < n 



0.256 



Saccharose 2 per cent 



0.247 







It is stated by Lindet (1911) that fructose is a tissue builder, while 

 glucose is used largely in respiration. It would be expected, therefore, 

 that fructose, especially when offered to plants grown in the dark, would 

 effect a greater increase in growth than would glucose, and that saccharose 

 would behave similarly. It may be, however, that glucose is more per- 

 meable, or that the statement does not hold for higher plants. There is 

 nevertheless a possibility that further work might show such a relation. 



influence of maltose on growth of corn embryo 

 In the experiment to determine the influence of maltose on the growth 

 of the corn embryo, the embryo was sown instead of the entire seed. 

 The embryo was first removed from the endosperm and all adhering starch 

 was removed. It was then sterilized by immersion in the calcium hypo- 

 chlorite solution for a period of four hours. As culture vessels test tubes 

 30 by 4 centimeters in size were employed, each containing 50 cubic 

 centimeters of the nutrient solution plus maltose sugar at certain con- 

 centrations. The plants were grown in the greenhouse from January 3 



f 



