THE SECRETION OF INVERTASE BY PLANT ROOTS 
379 
solutions, and recently much evidence has been presented showing the 
leaching of electrolytes from the roots of plants (see Merrill (6) for a review 
of literature). 
Summary and Conclusions 
1. Evidence is presented to show that Canada field pea {Pisum arvense 
L.) and corn {Zea mays L.) grown in the presence of sucrose cause an increase 
in reducing sugars in the culture solution. 
2. The reaction of the culture solution is such as to be without influence 
on the sucrose. 
3. Incubation experiments yielded negative results with respect to the 
presence of invertase. 
4. The idea is held that the increase in reducing sugars is due to excretion 
of these from the roots. 
Laboratory of Plant Physiology, 
Cornell University 
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