154 TEANSACTIONS LIVEEPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



2% to 3% of the dry weight, without injuriously affecting 

 their vitality. 



One result of prolonged dessication, especially if the 

 temperature be fairly high (38° C. for example), is to 

 cause a prolonged inhibitory after-effect upon germination, 

 which may be delayed many days or even weeks longer 

 than normal. If the seeds are, previously to drying, killed 

 by prolonged boiling, it is found that they lose water 

 rather more readily than similar living seeds kept in cold 

 water for the same length of time and then subjected to 

 dessication. , Thus such seeds of Wheat, Maize and Peas 

 contained, when air dried, from 6% to 8% of water, 

 whereas the living seeds contained from 10% to 12%. If 

 dried for 10 days in a dessicator at 37 Q C. to 38°C. the 

 dead seeds contained from 2% to 3% of water, whilst the 

 living ones contained from 3% to nearly 5%. After being 

 dried in the dessicator for from 6 to 7 weeks at 37°C. to 

 38°C, the dead seeds contained less than 1% of water 

 whilst the living seeds contained from 1% to 2%. Similar 

 results are obtained by seeds which are incapable of with- 

 standing prolonged dessication, for here as the seeds die 

 the percentage of water becomes gradually less and less. 

 Thus air dried Hemp seeds contained 9% of water and 

 87% germinated ; Haricots contained 15% of water and 

 84% germinated. After a week in the dessicator at 37 °C. 

 to 38°C. the Hemp seeds contained 1'43% of water and 

 47% remained capable of germination, the Haricots 

 averaged 4'68% of water and 60% germinated. After 45 

 days in the dessicator at 37°C. to 38°C. none of the Hemp 

 seeds formed seedlings, though in a few cases the radicles 

 protruded and grew to a few millimetres in length, the 

 percentage of water present was 0'64. The Haricots 

 contained 1'1% of water and after a very long latent 

 period 2% germinated, 



