Jan. 13, 1923 
Forcing the Germination of Freshly Harvested Wheat 85 
The rate of imbibition during the first hour was very much greater for 
the presoaked lots than for the controls. The presoaked oats continued 
absorbing water faster than the controls for several hours on wet blotters, 
while the presoaked wheat was absorbing water faster at the end of 72 
hours than the control. With all three kinds of grain the difference in 
moisture content at the end of the presoaking period was practically 
maintained up to the end of the three days. There was scarcely any 
tendency for the moisture content of the soaked lots and the controls to 
become equalized within that time. This seems to indicate that the 
thorough wetting of the surface, displacing the surface film of air, in 
the case of the presoaked grain had established favorable conditions for 
the capillary movement of water over the surface of the grain toward the 
proximal region at which Schroeder (38) and Collins ( 12 ) have shown that 
nearly all water intake occurs and tended to increase permanently the 
imbibitional power of the presoaked grain. Wheat showed less difference 
between presoaked lots and controls than did barley or oats. 
The high rate of water absorption during and immediately following the 
period of presoaking probably accounts for the early beginning of germi¬ 
nation of presoaked grain, and undoubtedly the thorough filling of coat 
structures with unaerated water retards gaseous exchange, explaining the 
reduction in germination capacity resulting from presoaking in excess of 
water. It is, however, impossible to consider coat limitations to the 
total water-absorbing power as the cause of poor germination of the 
freshly harvested grain, since the quantity absorbed by even the control 
lots by the end of the third day must be far in excess of the minimum 
amount required for germination. 
Table III .—Percentage of increase in weight on wet blotters of grain presoaked I hour 
in comparison with controls not soaked a 
Percentage of increase in weight. 
Number of hours.* 
Wheat. 
Oats. 
Barley. 
Pre¬ 
soaked. 
Control. 
Pre¬ 
soaked. 
Control. 
Pre¬ 
soaked. 
Control. 
15 - 7 
8.9 
38.7 
13 - I 
25*4 
8.4 
21.3 
13-4 
46.7 
16. I 
32.2 
15-7 
4 . 
29- 5 
2 3 * 3 
59-8 
26. I 
42.3 
28. 4 
SK. 
40. 0 
34 . 1 
75-7 
37-3 
56. 6 
36- S 
24. 
c 46. 6 
40. 1 
80. 4 
47. 2 
63-5 
46. 2 
48 . 
53-6 
46. 7 
87.9 
57-4 
69. 2 
55-4 
72. 
Moisture content after 72 hours 
S 8.3 
c 5 o -4 
86.6 
c 60. 8 
72. 0 
C 60.8 
(percentage of dry weight). . 
81. 4 
71.4 
114. O 
84-3 
100. 0 
83 - 9 
a Grain held for first 8 or 9 hours at room temperature, then at 5 0 C. 
6 Times given are only approximate for oats and barley, but the time was always the same for a pre¬ 
soaked lot and its control, 
c One or more beginning to germinate. 
EFFECT OF STERILIZATION WITH SILVER NITRATE SOLUTION 
For use in the comparative germination tests at different temperatures 
to be discussed in a later section, grain of the samples which were badly 
infected with microorganisms—about one-half of the total number of 
20517—23-3 
