86 Frederic Czapek . — The Anti-ferment Reaction in 
The actual curvature, however, began in roots growing in sawdust after one 
and a half hours, while the curvature of roots growing submerged in water, 
on account of hindered respiration and growth, did not appear before three 
hours. I convinced myself definitely that the anti-ferment reaction is not 
retarded by submerging the roots in water. With roots growing in damp 
air or sawdust, placing them horizontally for six minutes is sufficient to 
produce a distinct anti-ferment reaction, as described in the following 
section. In submerged roots also the anti-ferment reaction was distinctly 
seen after six minutes’ geotropic stimulation. Therefore the roots sub- 
merged in tap-water could be considered as being normal controls for 
comparison with chloroformed roots. From numerous experiments leading 
to the same result the following may be quoted. For the experiments 
large glass vessels were used which could be easily turned through 90°, and 
thus the whole of the roots could be at once changed from the vertical to 
the horizontal position. In each vessel the roots were fastened with a 
suitable apparatus. One of these vessels was filled with chloroform- 
water (one part of saturated solution chloroform-water to seven parts of 
water), the other vessel was filled with tap-water. All the roots remained 
vertical for one hour, the temperature of the fluids being 16 0 . Then the 
apparatus were rotated so that both lots of 100 roots were placed horizontally 
for six minutes. All the root-tips were then cut off and prepared for 
digestion. The experiments gave the following numbers, being the reducing 
power of 5 cc. filtrate at intervals of five days. 
Chloroform solution : Pure water : 
roots stimulated. 
unstimulated. 
stimulated. 
unstimulated. 
3 *° 
3 *° 
3 *o 
3.0 cc. ^ AgNOg 
2.7 
2*5 
2.7 
2-5 „ 
2-4 
20 
2-4 
2-1 „ 
21 
i*6 
2 1 
*'6 » ,, 
i-8 
1*2 
i*8 
I-I » 
i *5 
o-8 
o -7 „ ,, 
The anti-ferment 
reaction is 
therefore connected only with geotropic 
induction. 
Experiments 
arranged in 
the same manner 
with anti pyrin solution 
i*iooo gave analogous results. 
The stimulation lasted thirty minutes. 
Antipyrin : 
Pure water : 
stimulated. unstimulated. 
stimulated. 
unstimulated roots. 
3 -o 
3 -o 
3 '° 
3*° cc. ^ AgN 0 3 
2*7 
2-5 
2.7 
2-6 „ „ 
2-5 
2-0 
2-4 
2*2 „ 
2-2 
i -5 
2*1 
I *7 » » 
1.9 
1*0 
i-8 
1*3 » 
i*6 
0.5 
i -5 
°’9 >5 a 
