narrow tube immersed in fresh lime-water. Every day the 

 tube containing the wheat was lifted from the lime-water and 

 the contents aerated for a few minutes. The water film 

 which sometimes closed the mouth of the narrow tube was 

 removed with blotting paper, by centrifugal force or by the 

 passage of an air current across the open end of the tube. 



Result. — So far as visible evidence was concerned, dry 

 wheat appeared to. breathe very slowly or not at all. The 

 grain appeared to be in a state of suspended animation. From 

 the results of other experiments on vitality of seeds, it is 

 definitely known that each kind of seed retains its vitality 

 for a more or less lengthy period, and then dies either from 

 the effects of desiccation or oxidation of the germ plasm. 

 It may be said that a seed stored in a dry condition either 

 dies of thirst or breathes its life away. Some seeds that we 

 have tested lose their vitality at the end of one or two years ; 

 others, such as acacia seeds, retain their germinating quali- 

 ties for years. The seeds of Goodia lati folia are credited with 

 having retained vitality for 105 years. Ten years ago Pro- 

 fessor A. J. Ewart, of Melbourne, gave me three seeds of 

 Goodia latifolia which he said were 101 years old. One of 

 the three was successfully germinated. 



Experiment 2. — To demonstrate that germinating grain 

 respires freely. 



Method. — The apparatus was arranged and manipulated 

 in every particular as in Experiment 1, the only difference 

 being the condition of the enclosed grain. The wheat used 

 was placed in water at a temperature of 160° Fah. and 

 allowed to cool, and to soak for twenty-four hours, before 

 being enclosed in the glass tube. This treatment caused the 

 grain to germinate rapidly, and probably helped to minimise 

 attacks from moulds. 



Result. — The lower end of the narrow glass tubing, which 

 extended below the surface of the lime-water, and into which 

 the lime-water was forced by atmospheric pressure as the 

 oxygen was converted by the wheat into C0 2 gas, became 

 clogged with a white deposit of carbonate of lime. The 

 significance of this result may be stated thus : — The oxygen 

 of the air enclosed with the wheat was slowly absorbed by the 

 germinating grain and converted into C0 2 gas. As fast as 

 the C0 2 was formed it gravitated towards the lime-water and 

 was absorbed with the formation of carbonate of lime. 



The inference. — Germinating wheat breathes freely and 

 requires oxygen. 



Experiment 3. — To prove that dry grain can be stored 

 in an air-tight receptacle for a considerable period without 

 impairing the vitality or germinating qualities of the grain. . 



