418 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [yuNE 
Increase in length of epithelial cells —During germination there 
is a marked increase in length in the epithelial cells of the scutellum. 
In wheat this increase amounts at the end of seven days to 119 per 
cent in the distal cells, that is, those near the brush end of the 
grain; 161 per cent in the intermediate cells; and 165 per cent in 
the basal cells. The actual amount of increase in size is given in 
table IV. 
TABLE IV 
INCREASE IN LENGTH OF EPITHELIAL CELLS DURING GERMINATION 
LENGTH OF EPITHELIAL CELLS IN MM. 
Hours IN GERMINATOR 
Distal Intermediate Basal 
Oo Sen reine. lie vs 0.0347 0.0346 0.0273 
Bo ae ee 0.0388 0.0402 0.0305 
TO oe 0.0377 0.0377 0.0314 
SA ae ©.0407 0.0429 0.0340 
yr bata aaa a eae LM Saige 0.0455 0.0568 0.0436 
fe ie en 0.0573 9.0703 0.0518 
cate Uae ge pence os eaepiae 0.0638 0.0821 0.0592 
BOO ae ig ee oe 0.0629 0.0880 0.0562 
BO een se ft 0.0760 0.0899 0.0677 
OS ye hoe 0.0762 0.0906 0.0725 
From the physiological studies of Brown and Morris (5) and 
such cytological work as that of Torrey (22), it was believed that 
these epithelial cells actually secreted the diastase used in the 
hydrolysis of the starchy endosperm, and that this increase in 
size accompanied an increasing secretion of diastase. Miss 
Bruscui (6), however, stated that while there is a marked increase 
in the size of the epithelial cells at this time, the hydrolysis of the 
starch is due, not to diastase secreted by them, but to that developed 
from a proenzyme existing within the amyliferous endosperm cells, 
and that it is the action of this enzyme which causes the self- 
depletion of the endosperm even in the absence of the scutellum, 
while the scutellum itself, when separated from the endosperm and 
grown under sterile conditions, produces no diastase. 
Quantitative study of amino nitrogen content 
The crystallization of amino acids from wheat by microchemical 
methods is difficult, probably because of the large amount of storage 
