ON THE SELECTION OF RAPE SEED. 



455 



The above tables show that the germi native energy are 

 irregular in the case both of heavy and light grains but that the 

 germination percentage was inferior for lighter seeds. The height 

 of seedlings were also irregular, but the plants from lighter seeds 

 were always much weaker ; they were also lighter and contained 

 less dry matter than those obtained from heavy seeds. Thus there 

 exists a definite relation between the weight of a seed and the rigor 

 of the seedling. The experiments made by Marek and those at the 

 Laboratory of Plant-physiology at Halle as regards the germination 

 of large and small grains of beans, peas, wheat, linseed, and beet 

 gave similar results to the above. In these experiments, all the 

 peas and beans germinated both light and heavy grains, and with 

 wheat, linseed, and beet the germination percentage of the smaller 

 grains was rather inferior. The results of the measurements of the 

 seedlings of both grains, which have grown out only of their reserve 

 matters, made by Marek also agree with those of mine. 



c.) Relation of the different Absolute Weight of Seeds 



arranged in a Series according to Specific Gravity to their 



Germination. 



Three sorts of rape seed — Chosen, Okuna, and Hiroshima — 

 were taken and arranged in a series according to different specific 

 gravities and the seeds of a given specific gravity were again 

 arranged in the order of their absolute weights. The results were 

 shown in the following tables : — 



