By Edward Solly, Esq. 



203 



1844, was to ascertain whether any and what effect would he pro- 

 duced by steeping various seeds in certain simple solutions previous 

 to sowing, and to submit the plants subsequently to chemical 

 examination should any differences be observed which might ren- 

 der such a proceeding desirable. 



The ground selected for the experiments was uniform and had 

 not been previously used for chemical experiments, its composition 

 was very nearly the same as that of the ground employed in the 

 experiments of last year (see p. 36 of this volume). The seeds were 

 all good, being selected on purpose, and the whole of each kind of 

 seed was sown at the same time. Saturated solutions of pure 

 nitrate of soda, chloride of calcium, sulphate of magnesia, muriate 

 of ammonia, phosphate of ammonia, and common salt were made, 

 and these diluted by the addition of nine times as much pure water ; 

 enough of each steep was taken to cover entirely the portion of 

 seeds to be steeped, the quantity of solution being invariably two 

 fluid ounces ; the seeds were left in the solution until they had 

 swelled considerably, and it became evident that in a little time 

 more they would sprout, when they were withdrawn from the 

 solutions, drained on paper, and then sown. During the whole 

 time of steeping they were kept in the dark. Besides the six por- 

 tions of seeds steeped in the above mentioned solutions, two others 

 were sown, one of which had been soaked a corresponding time 

 in water alone, and one which had not been steeped at all ; thus 

 the effect would be observed, of steeping in water alone as 

 distinguished from the additional effect produced by each salt 

 employed. The beds intended for each particular sort of seed 

 were divided into forty rows, and each of the eight parcels of seed 

 was subdivided into five portions, so as to allow one to each row. 

 Thus the first eight rows received each of them a portion of the 

 same sort of seed differently prepared, the series of eight being 

 repeated five times over, the first, ninth, seventeenth, twenty-fifth, 

 and thirty-third row containing seeds similarly prepared; each row 

 having in fact four more rows like itself, but separated from each 



