THE SEED AND ITS GERMINATION. 7 



of a tumbler, and add just water enough thoroughly to soak the paper. 

 Pour out any excess. Place on the paper a few seeds (peas, barley, 

 wheat, oats) that have been soaked for 24 hours; cover to prevent 

 evaporation and put the tumbler in a light place. 



Put the same number of other seeds of the same sort in a cup or box 

 which will not admit light. 



Add a few drops of water from time to time, if the seeds or paper 

 seem to be drying. Place the cup and tumbler side by side, so that they 

 will have the same temperature, and watch for results. 



Tabulate your results something like this : 



No. of seeds sprouted in 24 hrs. 48 hrs. 72 hrs. 96 hrs. 



In dark, 



In light, 



N. B. — Take special pains to have the conditions of moisture and heat 

 the same in the cup and in the tumbler. 



9. Experiment 2. ' Relation of Temperature to Germination. — 

 Arrange several vessels as in Exp. 1. Put in each vessel the same number 

 of soaked peas.i Stand the vessels with their contents in places where 

 they will be exposed to different, but fairly constant, temperatures and 

 observe the several temperatures carefully with a thermometer. The 

 following series is merely suggested, — other values may be found more 

 convenient. Note the rate of germination in each place and record in 

 tabular form as follows : 



No. of seeds sprouted in 24 hrs. 48 hrs. 72 hrs. 96 hrs. etc. 



At 32 degrees, 



At 50 degrees, 



At 70 degrees, . 



At 90 degrees,^ 



10. Experiment 3.^ Relation of Water to Germination. — 

 Arrange seeds in several vessels as follows : 



In the first put blotting-paper that is barely moistened: on this put 

 some dry seeds. 



• If peas are used one year, Indian corn another year, squash-seeds another, and 

 so on, a series of data will be obtained which may be quoted to the class after the 

 experiment as above given has been completed, 



2 Here and elsewhere throughout the book temperatures are expressed in Fahren- 

 heit degrees, since with us, unfortunately, the Centigrade scale is not the familiar 

 one, outside of physical and chemical laboratories. 



3 May be a home experiment. 



