BOTANICAL GAZETTE [APRIL 
Acidity 
Cot. acid 
Great in- 
crease 
x 
Hyp. basic 
Oxidase 
° 
x 
Peroxidase 
Hyp. little 
crease 
x 
Cot. x 
“crease 
Slight in-| Great in- 
x 
Catalase 
Starch 
ie} 
Sugar 
Trace 
TABLE I 
CONDITION OF THE EMBRYO OF CRATAEGUS GLORIOSA 
Protein 
Lecithin 
Fatty oil 
Abundant 
Condition of 
seeds 
Air-dry 
ripened 
At germina-| Decrease 
tion 
After- 
Glucoside 
amygdalin 
i ee 
The value of neutral red as an 
indicator has been questioned by 
many. If the change in color of a 
dye is due to H ion content, it can 
safely be used as an_ indicator. 
FRIEDENTHAL (13) gives a very valu- 
able series of indicators with the H 
or OH ion concentration which will 
produce a change in color. In the 
presence of substances which form 
combinations with the dye, the 
change in color would be no indi- 
cation of H or OH ions. In all my 
work, however, the acidity or alka- 
linity as shown by neutral red was 
confirmed by titrations with NaOH 
or HCl. 
Microchemical tests should be fol- 
lowed always by quantitative de- 
terminations at the critical points. 
When so used the method is reliable 
and is a great saving of time and 
material. 
RESULT OF MICHROCHEMICAL TESTS 
The condition of the embryo at 
the beginning and end of the after- 
ripening period, and at germination 
just after the hypocotyl has pushed 
out through the testa, is shown in the 
accompanying table (I). In all the 
tables, x indicates presence in quan- 
tity, and o indicates absence. 
There is a very gradual, though 
constant, increase in the acidity and 
in the enzymes during the whole 
period. After 80-90 days at 5°C., 
