420 
ALFRED DACHNOWSKI 
tissues. The alterations produced by the variety of substances here 
used are more easily understood on the hypothesis that hydrolytic 
cleavages are taking place whereby the water component in the 
seeds varies the greater in proportion the nearer the equilibrium 
point reaches to the position of complete hydrolysis. Neither the 
osmotic pressure of the cell contents is raised to any considerable 
extent, — for the solutions in which the seeds are kept show increasingly 
larger amounts of diffusing products of the reaction which in the case 
of the hydroxides alter the catalyst itself, — nor can any conception 
of colloidal swelling alone be brought into harmony with the maximal 
values of water retained, or with the series of chemical changes actually 
taking place, through which the seeds are progressively altered. 
Table VI 
The Water Content of Corn Seeds {Zea mais) in Equinormal Alkaline 
Solutions 
Four seeds in each lOO c.c. solution 
Time Interval in Hours 
H2O 
K0H«/8oo 
NH4OH «/8oo 
Ca(OH)2«/8oo 
NaOH «/8oo 
Hours 
Minutes 
1. 100 
1-130 
1.080 
1.090 
I.OIO 
2 
1.270 
1.430 
1-325 
I-315 
1.250 
6 
30 
1.400 
I.5IO 
1.430 
1.400 
1.340 
i6 
30 
1.540 
1.632 
1.566 
1-525 
1.430 
20 
30 
1.563 
1.658 
1.604 
1.560 
1.460 
26 
30 
1.642 
1. 710 
1.640 
1.620 
1.520 
40 
30 
1715 
1.770 
1.720 
1. 711 
1-583 
48 
30 
1-750 
1.803 
1-750 
1.726 
1.608 
65 
1.800 
1.832 
I.812 
I.77I 
1.666 
89 
30 
1.802 
1-855 
1.860 
1.825 
1-685 
116 
1.800 
1.870 
1.877 
1-863 
1.680 
137 
30 
1.800 
1.830 
1.890 
1.860 
1. 710 
164 
30 
1.800 
1.830 
1.840 
1-855 
1. 710 
195 
1.800 
1.830 
1.832 
1.845 
1.709 
Maximum percentage 
163.6% 
171-7% 
175-% 
176.4% 
169.3% 
There are now at our disposal a few data which may be utilized in 
the further consideration of the problem of the relation of transpiration 
to the water content of growing plants. The plants used in the 
experiments discussed below were tomato cuttings of known green 
weight and as nearly alike as possible in transpiration surface. The 
method pursued has been described in previous publications (3). The 
plants were fastened to perforated stoppers by means of small amounts 
