144 



SCIENCE. 



[X. S. Vol. XXI. Xo. 520. 



able species. Cultures of Lenzites sepiaria 

 and ScluzopltyUuni commit )ie have yielded 

 fruiting- bodies, the latter in about five 

 Aveeks' time. The spores of the former 

 were germinated in a very weak cane sugar 

 solution, but failed totally to germinate in 

 water or in weak salt solutions. Inocula- 

 tions with myceliiun of Lenzites have given 

 no parasitic action, but in cut timber they 

 have produced fruiting bodies in less than 

 five months. 



The Effect of Climatic Conditions on the 

 Vitalitij of Seeds: J. W. T. Duvel. 

 This paper is a preliminary report on 

 experiments undertaken to determine the 

 effect of climatic conditions on the vitality 

 of seeds when stored in the ordinary seed 

 packages and in air-tight containers. 



In December, 1902, seeds were distributed 

 to sixty stations throughout the United 

 States, including Alaska, Hawaii, Porto 

 Rico and the Philippines. In addition 

 seeds were also stored in Newfoundland, 

 Canada, Isle of Pines, Cuba, Jamaica, St. 

 Kitts, Dominica, Barbados and Trinidad. 

 At the expiration of six months and one 

 year respectively two complete sets from 

 each of the sixty stations were returned and 

 tested for vitality. The results of the 

 germination tests show a great deterioi-ation 

 in the seeds contained in paper packages 

 which were stored in places having a warm, 

 humid atmosphere, while the seeds put up 

 in air-tight containers preserved their vital- 

 ity much l)etter under these conditions. 

 Seeds from places having comparatively 

 dry climates showed no appreciable loss in 

 vitality from either the paper packages or 

 the air-tight containers. 



The (Jerminalion of Seeds as affected hy 

 Soil Temperatures: Edgar Bkown. 

 A brief description of observations on 

 the temperature of Ihe upper layers of soil 

 and Ihe effects of soil Icinperatures on the 

 germination of seeds. From IMarch 26 to 



June 30 planting of twenty different kinds 

 of seeds were made at intervals of from 

 two to three days, and records were kept of 

 the total germination and appearance of 

 first sprouts. 



Readings of soil thermometers at depths 

 varying from one fourth inch to two feet 

 and of air and solar radiation thermom- 

 eters, were made from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

 at intervals of fifteen minutes. Great 

 variations in germination resulted. Let- 

 tuce germinated well in the early part of 

 the season when the temperature was com- 

 paratively low, but poorly later as soil be- 

 came warmer. The reverse was true of 

 corn and many other seeds. 



The time between planting and the ap- 

 pearance of first sprouts was generally in- 

 versely proportional to the per cent, of 

 germination. Seeds of low vitality germi- 

 nate much more slowly than seeds of high 

 vitality. Seeds of loiv vitality are much 

 more affected by unfavorable conditions 

 than seeds of high vitality. 

 The Relation of Transpiration to other 



Functions: Burton E. Lfvingston. 



The subjects for study were wheat plants 

 grow^n in soils and nutrient solutions. The 

 respective amounts of water lost by trans- 

 piration during a period of two or three 

 weeks in a synchronous series of cultures 

 in different soils or in different solutions 

 appeared to be a good criterion for judging 

 th(' relative values of these different media. 

 To test this moi'e rigidly, total transpira- 

 tion was compared in a large number of 

 series with tlie weight of the leaves and 

 with their area. It was found that throiagh 

 a wide rang-e of treatments transpiration is 

 proportional to leaf area. The relation of 

 transpiration to leaf weight seems not to be 

 quite so simple, although by this criterion 

 the different treatments in a series Avould 

 fall in the same order as by that of trans- 

 piration. In other Avords, transpiration 

 unit ai'ca is (|uitc genej-ally uniform 



