Apr. 5, 1924 
Effect of Modified Hot - Water Treatment on Wheat 
89 
Table X.— Percentages of germination of three lots of 50 hand-threshed seeds of eaeh 
of four varieties of wheat presoaked for 5 , 10 } and 15 hours , respectively , prior to 
treatment for 10 minutes in water at 54° C. 
Percentage of germination after: 
Variety 
C.I. 
10 days 
15 days 
30 days 
No. 
Hours presoaked 
Hours presoaked 
Hours presoaked 
5 
10 
15 
5 
10 
15 
5 
10 
15 
Forward. 
6691 
94 
80 
30 
96 
92 
74 
96 
96 
78 
Goens.. 
80 
28 
2 
84 
58 
26 
84 
72 
32 
Illini Chief. 
5406 
100 
82 
38 
100 
96 
64 
100 
98 
80 
Stoner. 
2980 
88 
38 
26 
92 
64 
68 
92 
70 
78 
Average. 
90.5 
57.0 
24.0 
93.0 
77.5 
58.0 
93.0 
84.0 
67.0 
Table X shows that even in the presence of unbroken seed coats increases in 
the duration of presoaking slowly result in increased retardation and a further 
reduction in germination. 
EFFECTS OF THE MODIFIED HOT-WATER TREATMENT ON 
GROWTH 
The retardation in germination and emergence of seedlings from kernels 
which survive treatment has been noted. The effects of treatment on seedling 
growth also were studied. Five lots of 100 seeds each were prepared, three lots 
being Goens (Red Chaff) and one lot each being Fulcaster and Purplestraw. 
Fifty seeds from each lot were subjected to modified hot-water treatment on 
October 14, 1921, and then dried for one week. On October 21 all of the seeds 
were sown in soil in greenhouse flats. Eleven days later, on November 1, the 
height of each seedling was recorded. The results are presented in Table XI. 
Table XI.— Average height , 11 days after sowing , of seedlings from five lots of 
wheat grown from untreated seed and seed treated by the modified hot-water 
method 
Variety 
Average height of 
seedlings in 
inches 11 days 
after sowing 
Seed un¬ 
treated 
Seed 
treated 
4.50 
2.25 
Do . . 
4.75 
2.25 
Do . . . 
5.50 
3.25 
Frileaster . 
5.00 
4.00 
Purplftstraw.. . 
4.75 
3.25 
A vfirA?p . 
4.90 
3.00 
Table XI shows that the seedlings from the treated half of the five lots 
averaged 1.9 inches shorter than the seedlings from untreated seed. 
To facilitate a critical determination of the effects of the modified hot-water 
treatment on the growth of wheat from treated seed, studies were made of the 
effects of treatment on individual plants on (1) field germination, (2) overwin¬ 
tering, and (3) number of culms produced. The determination of the plant 
