Burley Grain in Relation to Localized Water Absorption* 395 
Barley grains: Uptake of water related to increase of weight by the 
two halves of the grain. Average of Series I, II, III, and IV. 
From a -consideration of the tabulated results, it will be seen that the 
original weights of individual grains varied within and between the series ; 
the weights of the grains in Series i were more uniform. Naturally, the 
lack of uniformity in weight, size, and integuments will tend to obscure the 
results somewhat, particularly when percentages of dry weight are made 
the basis of comparison. The impossibility of cutting the grains so that 
each portion in every grain bears the same relative proportion to the whole 
adds still further to the difficulty of comparison. Although the grains 
themselves may vary largely in size and weight, the embryo is most likely 
to be of uniform proportion, for during its development, even in the smallest 
grain, there will be an abundance of food material, and consequently the 
embryo may be expected to fluctuate but little in size. Having due regard 
to these facts, it is claimed that the absolute increases in weight of the 
grains, irrespective of the original weights, afford a comparable series, and 
from this the conclusion is drawn that the initial uptake of water supplies 
in the main the needs of the embryo itself. 
These results can only be interpreted in the sense that the germinal 
portion of the grain increases in weight much more rapidly than the apical 
portion, despite the fact that, in the way the grains were divided, the 
apical portion would possess by far the greater surface area. The water 
must come to the embryo either by local absorption at one or more points, 
or, after having been absorbed generally over the whole surface, be passed 
directly to the embryo without passing to and wetting the starchy endo¬ 
sperm. There was no evidence for the latter view, and when the distribution 
