428 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [JUNE 
plain that the distance the valve is to be opened will vary with 
different seeds, but will not be at any time particularly hard to 
determine. With valve bd closed, there was no difficulty in getting 
the seeds down into the air tube; with it open they would be 
blown out at d. 
The opening at / is five-eighths of an inch in diameter and will 
accommodate seeds of sweet peas, lupines, Lathyrus, honey locust, 
Wu 
b bilge 
i 
Ww 
ae 
a 
ar ae ' 
Fic. 1.—Apparatus for increasing the germination of hard-coated seeds by blow- 
ing them against a bank of needle points. 
etc. When smaller seeds are to be treated, an attachment with 
three-eighths inch feed, valves, and air tube can be adjusted readily. 
Valve g can be used to regulate the pressure, as read on the pressure 
gauge /. 
Tests were made of treated and untreated seeds, on filter paper 
kept moist with distilled water, at a temperature of 23-25° C. The 
results are summarized in table I. 
