160 Report of the Depakiment of Botany of the 



species of water-inhabiting fungi. On the other hand, if the 

 hyphae are septate it belongs either to Fusarium or Fusisporium, 

 and the species of these genera rarely live in water. 



It appears that this gray, slimy fungus is of common occur- 

 rence and wide distribution in refrigerators. Upon inquiry 

 among the members of the Station staff it was found that 

 several of them are familiar with the fungus. Five of them 

 furnished us with samples, all of which proved to be identical 

 with the original sample. In each case the fungus with small, 

 colorless hyphte and curved spores was found to predominate. 

 Sometimes traces of other fungi, Oscillaria and bacteria were 

 found but never in quantity. It is plain that the chief culprit is 

 the fungus above described. Mr. Harding, the Station Bacteri- 

 ologist, informs us that while he was an assistant in the bacte- 

 riological laboratory of the University of Wisconsin a refrig- 

 erator kept in the laboratory clogged at frequent intervals with 

 a fungus probably the same as that found by us. 



Correspondence with some firms manufacturing refrigerators 

 indicate that the trouble is a general one. The Wilke Manufac- 

 turing Co., Anderson, Ind., write as follows: " Replying to yours 

 of the loth, we have encountered, in a commercial way, the fun- 

 gus growth to which you refer. We have always referred to it 

 as "slime from the melted ice.' It is a peculiar deposit or growth, 

 and will in time choke up the drain pipe. There seems to be 

 little or no difference whether the ice is natural or artificial — 

 from distilled water. In our Instruction Card, which accom- 

 panies each refrigerator, we refer to this ' slime ' and request the 

 users to remove drain pipe and scald it at least once a month 

 during the summer season." 



The Bowen Manufacturing Co., Fond du Lac, Wis., write: 

 " Our attention has at times been called to clogged drain pipes, 

 which on being emptied proved to be filled with a substance 

 having the appearance of jelly, with firmness enough to hold 

 together in lengths of several inches. We had never looked upon 

 this as a fungus growth, but rather as gelatinous matter coming 

 from the ice, or condensed from the vapors which arise from 

 the articles placed in the provision compartment." 



