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maintained at the requisite degree of humidity. These have proved serviceable in many cases, but the whole subject of root-photography must be regarded as in quite an experimental stage.
To the uninitiated the life story of a plant upon the screen might well suggest an atmosphere of peaceful simplicity, but, so far as methods of production are concerned, nothing could be much farther from the truth. Let us glance at the procedure in the simplest case that of a typical easilygrown annual plant which can be relied upon to confine its habits of growth and development to those which botanists have prescribed as fitting and seemly for the family to which it belongs. Early in the first year a selection of seeds are sown, further batches being raised throughout the season. These are primarily for obtaining accurate data for future use. Literature likely to be of value is consulted and the information tabulated, the result being, too often, an accumulation of vague generalities curiously deficient in exact details of times, dates and dimensions.
Towards the end of the year a few shots are made of the later batches, assisted by data obtained from the earlier experiments. The advantage of this method of procedure is that it gives one an inkling of the difficulties likely to be encountered with the subject in hand and the facilities of the winter months in which to devise and construct any special apparatus suggested by them.
At the beginning of the following year work is commenced in earnest. Seeds are distributed — dropped or forcibly propelled according to the habits of the parent plant — upon ground of varied character. They are then transferred, in the same position to small sections of similar earth and placed in machines under suitable conditions for germination. Seeds, such as peas, which fall casually without any reference to the contained embryo are started in a number of different positions to discover points of interest concerning the first movements of the young plant. Meanwhile laboratory methods are employed to demonstrate, where possible, the behaviour of the contents of the seed during germination. Fragments from the edge of safety-razor blades, suitably mounted, make ideal lancets for minute dissections of this root, and antiseptics are essential — a i % solution of mercury bichloride being much in demand.
Pictures are made, wherever possible, of the means by which the embryo plant cuts through the outer skin, which, being of a protecting nature, is often surprisingly tough. The seed duly started into growth, specimens are followed by cameras both downwards as the root develops, and upwards as the green plant appears. A number of root preparations are made under different methods of treatment corresponding to fine rich earth, stony ground, very dry, very wet soils. Aa a rule one only will be required for the purposes of a popular film, but failures, or partial failures are frequent, and this method allows for selection, also for the acquisition of useful knowledge