(883.] Botany. 413 
inches, some went obliquely upwards; a few went straight up; 
some making curves, some one, two or even three coils. 
For experiments made in 1882 and reported below, I used good, 
sound yellow-dent corn, one year old, of one variety. I observed 
nearly 700 germinating kernels in sandy soil, in various situa- 
tions, The primary and secondary roots, from one to six for each 
kernel, about 3000 in ail, were examined, and nota single instance 
was found of a coil in the root. The roots in loose sand generally 
went onward in one direction without abrupt turns, sometimes 
wavy, sometimes turning by some obstruction. 
I placed some clean, damp sand four inches deep in a cellar 
facing the north, with the temperature about 65° to 75° F., where 
the surface of the soil remained slightly moist, without supplying 
water, The surface of the sand was left loose and level. 
Three hundred kernels were planted one-half to three-fourths 
of an inch deep, all with the tips or embryo end down, When 
most of the plants were showing green leaves above the sand, 
none over half an inch, I counted 33 roots out of the sand, mostly 
Secondary roots, I suppose. The tips-of these were generally 
curved down, as if sick of the element they were in, and trying to 
get back into the sand. Mice and squirrels interrupted this ex- 
periment. However, afterthe plumule was twoto four inches high, 
150 kernels were examined. At this time, some 200 roots were 
above the ground, three of which were primary roots. The latter 
had grown three, four and six inches respectively before coming 
Out to the surface. I examined the shape of the tip of 88 of these 
primary roots for one inch as they were seen below the surface. 
Twenty-five were straight, 23 were slightly wavy in two planes, 
the other 40 were more or less curved near the end. 
e roots above the sand were somewhat red. Most of them 
re-entered the soil after coming out on the surface for one to four 
inches or more. Some never could get back, although the sand 
was very loose. ` 
Nearly all the roots grew well on the surface and produced and 
retained trichomes without any trouble. The roots in the sand 
usually ran downward obliquely, often about 10° to 30° with the 
Surface, very rarely straight down. 
‘ A second lot of 150 kernels acted just about like the first, only 
hey were not disturbed by mice or squirrels. 
bs aioa roots out of the sand. Seventy-five sent the primary 
times 
Where the primary root came above the sand in these cases, it 
