ON THE EFFECT OF STEEPING ON RICE-SEEDS. 



473 



ment does not show a decided efifect, the steeping so long as lOO 

 days is not without influence and the germinating power of the seed 

 is more or less damaged hy it.® 



As a conckision, we may state thus : rice seed has a re- 

 markable power of withstanding the action of water when steeped, 

 and this fact is probably to be attributed to the comparatively small 

 solubility of its nutriment and its power of preventing to a certain 

 degree the growth of bacteria so hurtful to the germinating power of 

 seeds. 



(5) A curious fact was observed during the experiment ; the five grains which did not 

 germinate in the steeped seed were taken out without moulding, which was not the case with 

 the seed which was not steeped. 



