Water as a Factor in Plant Growth, 



The role of water and aqueous salt solutions in the ger- 

 mination of seeds has been but little studied. The best and 

 most comprehensive work along these lines is the Handbuch der 

 Samenkunde, by Nobbe, published in 1876, Many of the state- 

 ments made by TT obbe have not been generally accepted and it 

 was my purpose to verify or to prove as wrong, some of this 

 former work. 



At the outset of the work the course was outlined in a 

 general way, but with the idea of turning aside into the most 

 desirable lines of work as necessity and the work would lead. 



Many times it was desired to proceed along certain def- 

 inite lines but, as all related lines of work could not be in- 

 vestigated, my time was devoted almost exclusively to the rate 

 and amount of absorption in seeds soaked in different solutions; 

 the effect of soaking in these solutions on the per cent and 

 time of germination; and 3ome little work on absorption of 

 water by roots of growing plants under different conditions 

 of temperature. 



