RESPIRATION OF APPLE SEEDS 1 
By George T. Harrington 
Formerly Scientific Assistant , Seed-Testing Laboratories, Bureau of Plant Industry , 
United States Department of Agriculture 
This study was made, using the manometric respiration apparatuses 
and following in detail the procedure described in the previous article (n) 
on a new and efficient respirometer for use with seeds and other small 
objects. 
The size of apparatus used in each case was determined by the number 
and relative activity of the seeds to be studied. The results have been 
computed in terms of milligrams of oxygen consumed and milligrams of 
C0 3 given off per gram dry weight of the respiring seeds in 24 hours- 
The temperature coefficients have been computed for both processes for 
each temperature interval used, whenever the seeds used were in suffi¬ 
ciently stable condition to make it desirable to do so. 
First experiment. —Newtown Pippin seeds from fruit stored at o° C. 
until May 7. Seeds removed in the next few days and incubated on 
moist blotters at about 5 0 to io° C. Experiment begun May 20 with six 
parallel lots of seed at temperature of 19 0 ; 25 or 50 seeds per lot at be¬ 
ginning of experiment. (Table I.) 
Table I. —Respiration of Newtown pippin seeds at ig° C . 
Period 
of res¬ 
pira¬ 
tion. 
Num¬ 
ber of 
loti. 
Condition of seeds. 
Gaseous exchanges 
(mgm. per gm., dry 
weight) per day. 
Oxygen 
con¬ 
sumed. 
COj pro¬ 
duced. 
Hours. 
i&X 
6 
Intact. 
I.09 
1.30 
2 
Intact; 26 per cent germinating at end of 
period. 
•83 
I. OI 
43 
4 
Outer coats removed; 67 per cent germinat¬ 
ing at end of period. 
2.35 
02.73 
\ 3.28 
* 3 - 8 1 
1 
Intact; many germinating at end of period. 
•97 
1.26 
1 
Intact; germinated at beginning of period.. 
3-43 
3-97 
2 
Outer coats removed; all germinating at 
21 
end of period. 
f« 2.97 
23*15 
4.14 
6 4*39 
1 
Outer coats removed; germinated at be¬ 
ginning of period. 
/ 0 7.48 
0 6.83 
F10.43 
5 9*53 
COa/Oi 
(volume) 
0.86 
.87 
84 
94 
84 
77 
66 
• Based on dry weight of intact seeds. 
6 Based on dry weight of seeds with outer coats removed. 
1 Accepted for publication July 2, 1931. 
Journal of Agricultural Research, 
Washington, D. C 
abl 
(nr; 
Vol. XXIII, No. a 
Jan 13,1923 
Key No. G-zf s 
20517—23- 
