Dec. 13,1915 Translocation of Constituents of Seeds and Tubers 
45i 
were placed round perforated porcelain plates, similar to those used in 
desiccators, on top of which were placed two circular pieces of blotting 
paper which had been treated with dilute hydrochloric acid and washed 
free from chlorids with distilled water. Small lamp wicks connected 
these blotters with the water in the bottom of the dish, so that they 
would remain moist during the period of germination. Just previous to 
placing the beans between the blotters the entire apparatus was sterilized 
by heating at 180° C. for two hours. 
The germinated beans were transplanted to test tubes which had been 
carefully paraffined inside and in each of which was placed a plug of cotton 
about half an inch from the top and held in place by a small amount of 
paraffin. The cotton was the purest we could obtain and was treated 
with dilute hydrochloric acid and washed with sterile distilled water until 
no test for chlorids could be obtained. This cotton gave practically no 
ash when incinerated. 
In beginning this experiment 1,400 perfect beans were selected, cleaned 
with a damp cloth, and divided into two lots of 700 each. These lots 
were labeled “A” and “B,” respectively. The 700 beans labeled “A” 
were placed in a flask and covered with 95 per cent alcohol containing 20 
per cent of formalin and allowed to stand for 20 minutes. The beans were 
then drained and washed free from alcohol with sterile distilled water. 
The alcoholic drainage and washings were evaporated to dryness and 
saved for analysis, being labeled “ 11 ” in Table I. The beans were now 
transferred to the sterile germinating dishes described above and placed 
between blotters, care being taken that the beans did not touch each 
other. Throughout the germination of the beans sterile distilled water 
was added in just sufficient amounts to keep the beans moist. Germi¬ 
nation started at once, and the small radicle appeared in from two to 
three days and in some instances was half an inch in length by the end 
of the fourth day. As soon as this stage was reached, the integuments 
were removed from the cotyledons with sterile, platinum-tipped forceps, 
care being taken not to bruise the cotyledons nor allow dust or dirt to 
come in contact with them. The integuments were preserved and labeled 
“9” in Table I. The seedlings were then transferred to paraffined test 
tubes K by 6 inches, the seedlings being held in place with a small quantity 
of sterile cotton. The test tubes were filled with sterile distilled water, 
which was replaced as fast as it was removed by the plant or by evapora¬ 
tion. The seedlings began to grow immediately, putting forth roots and 
plumules. Some of the beans on germinating proved to have imperfect 
cotyledons; these with a number which had been bruised during the 
removal of the integuments were discarded, so that at the end of the 
experiment only 609 seedlings had been allowed to mature. This number 
furnished the material for analysis. 
