The Effects of Pressure on the Germination and Growth of Plants

Abstract

THE following experiments may be of interest to vegetable physiologists:—On April 7, at 11 p.m., two sets of mustard-seeds—five in each set—were sown on pieces of moist cottonwool, arranged as follows:—One piece was placed in a small bottle, which was then secured to the curved extremity of a glass tube, into the long arm of which mercury was poured till a height of forty-five inches was reached above the level of the metal in the shorter arm. The second piece, with its seeds, was placed in an exactly similar bottle, the neck of which was then made to dip beneath mercury, the bottle, of course, like the one soldered on to the tube, being inverted. This bottle was then placed beside the first.