36 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [JANUARY 
tions of the petioles of 4 plants of Oxalis were painted with xylol 
for 3.cm.; the plants failed to assume the sleep position; the leaves 
wilted in 2 days and dried in 3 days. Control plants wilted in a 
few hours after being cut. RosHARDT is inclined to think from 
these results that ether is absorbed and carried to the leaves, while 
the xylol is not carried to the leaves. He has performed other 
experiments on ‘other species with these two substances with 
similar results. 
In order to test further the truth of this hypothesis, ROSHARDT 
has performed experiments somewhat similar to those which I 
shall describe, the results of which appear in tables V, VI, VIII, — 
and IX. He has interpreted his results, however, in an entirely a 
different manner. Rooted plants of Arum maculatum, Phaseolus 
multiflorus, Malva neglecta, Convallaria majalis, and Physalis 
alkekengi were experimented upon; two similar plants of each 
species were placed in a PFEFFER’s transpiration apparatus 
One plant was left undisturbed and a section of the stem was 
steamed for a certain time. The water absorbed was calcu 
lated in volumes, and the amount transpired was determined by 
weighing at regular half-hour intervals. The investigation was 
carried on until wilting began. In his table (p. 352) which repre-_ 
sents his results on Arum, it will be noticed that the amount of 
water transpired during the first half-hour after treatment is 0.093 
gm., while 0.110 gm. was given off during the second half-hour. 
During the 3rd, 4th, and 5th intervals, 0.090, 0.095, and 0.100 gm. 
respectively are lost. The succeeding periods also show some — 
increases over the amount of water transpired during the saa 
killing the stem with heat, but the final (though not continuous 
decrease in the water transport is due to a lack of energy, wh 
the dead cells are unable to supply. 
Ewart (14) adheres to the vitalistic theory, and, after repeating 
STRASBURGER’S experiment on a maple tree 15 m. high, concluat 
that picric acid is not a satisfactory is for a the stem 
