T. YOKOI. 



On analysis we found the composition of the original and the 

 steeped seed to be as follows : — 



The orisrinal seed. The seed after steeping. 



Water .... 10.0762 14.4600 



Total dry matter 89.9238 85.5400 



■100.0000 100.0000 



Organic matter 85.9066 81.2580 



Ash 4.0172 4.2820 



Nitrogen 1.1068 0.9329 



Thus it may be seen that the percentage of dissolved matter by 

 ■weight amounts only to 12.018^ of the total dry matter, containing 



* Organic matter 1 1 -95 S% 



Ash 0.063 ,, 



* Nitrogenous matter 1.696^ 



Non-nitrogenous 10.259 ,, 



This result when compared with the result of A. Zoebl, with 

 barley and maize, shows strikingly the power of rice seed to with- 

 stand the dissolving action of water. The fact becomes more 

 remarkable when we take into consideration not only the time of 

 steeping but the temperature of water during the interval. The 

 bottle with the seed was placed in a cool room ; but as the room 

 was daily warmed during the latter half of the experiment, the 

 water must also have become somewhat warmer. Daily observa- 

 tion of the temperature of the water, showed that the lowest tem- 

 perature observed was i.o°C. and the highest i6°C. both these 

 temperatures having been observed only twice during the whole 

 experiment. Aside from these two extreme cases the temperature 

 of the water was in general over 3°C. and below io°C. during the 

 first 69 days, and above io°C. and below i6°C. during the latter 31 

 days — being on the average lower tlian that of Zoebl's warm water 

 and higher than that of his cold water. 



Another fact which struck us during tlie experiment was the 

 small quantity of bacteria found in the water. The water was 

 remarkably clear even after many days of steeping and did not show 

 such brown or dark brown colouration found almost directly after 

 steeping in the case of barley and other grains. Bacteria were 

 found forming a thin film on the surface of the water ; hence it is 

 perhaps not unreasonable to suppose that rice seed contains some 

 ingredient detrimental to the growth of bacteria. 



