Page:Life Movements in Plants.djvu/220

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LIFE MOVEMENTS IN PLANTS

water, the variation of temperature should not be too sudden; it should commence with tepid, and end with warm water. Sudden application of hot water brings about certain complications due to excitatory effect. As regards the persistence of after-effect of a single application of warm water, it should be remembered that the absorbed water gradually cools down. In an experiment with a peduncle of Zephyranthes the growth under partial drought was found to be 0.04 μ per second; application of warm water increased the growth rate to 0.20 μ per second. After 15 minutes the growth rate fell to 0.13 μ per second; and after an hour to 0.08 μ per second. It will be noted that even then the rate was twice the initial rate before irrigation.

TABLE XII.—EFFECT OF IRRIGATION.

Specimen. Condition of Experiment. Rate of growth.
Kysoor
…          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …
Dry soil
…         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …
0.21 μ per second.
Irrigation with cold water
…          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …          …
0.30 μ per second.
Irrigation with warm water
…      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …
1.33 μ per second.
Peduncle of Zephyranthes.
Dry soil
…         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …         …
0.04 μ per second.
Irrigation with warm water
…      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …      …
0.20 μ per second.


EFFECT OF ARTIFICIAL INCREASE OF INTERNAL HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE.

Increased turgor was, next, artificially induced by increase of internal hydrostatic pressure.

Experiment 71.—The plant was mounted water-tight in the short limb of an U-tube, and subjected to increased hydrostatic pressure by increasing the height of the water