GEEMINATION STUDIES. 13 



far enough to suggest that an investigation of the factors influencing 

 germination might yiekl studies of special interest. During 1900- 

 1901 Dr. Margaret C. Ferguson undertook a systematic investiga- 

 tion of the relation of stimuli to germination in certain species. 

 The results " have made it evident that the problems involved are 

 not the well-known simple nutrient or physical factors. Miss Fer- 

 guson spent much time in experimenting with a great variety of 

 nutrient media and special stimuli. Several thousand cultures were 

 made. In the majority of these cultures Agaricus campestris was 

 used, and it is shown that from the known ecological relationships 

 of this fungus one could not possibly predicate the probable stimulus 

 for germination. In fact, with no known nutrient medium or special 

 chemical stimulus employed, was there anything more than erratic 

 germination. Nevertheless, the work was finally very successful 

 in the discovery that almost a perfect percentage of germination 

 could be secured by the influence of the living hvpha:> of Agaricus 

 campestris upon the spores, as announced in the statement that " if 

 a few spores are able to germinate under the cultural conditions, 

 or if a bit of the mycelium of Agaricus campestris be introduced into 

 the culture, the growth resulting will in either case cause or make 

 possible the germination of nearly all the spores of the culture, pro- 

 vided, of course, that the other conditions are not such as to inhibit 

 germination." 



The stimulus would seem to be of enzymatic nature. No other 

 mycelium tested produced a similar effect. This was a distinct 

 advance in our knowledge of factors influencing germination. The 

 stimulus, however, could only be looked upon as perhaps a substitu- 

 tion stimulus. It did not seem possible that it could obtain in nature, 

 nor could it be looked upon as wholly satisfactory from a practical 

 point of view. 



Miss Ferguson's results offered encouragement; but, nevertheless, 

 the problems with Agaricus campestris and related species were left 

 open for further investigation. It should, perhaps, be emphasized 

 that prior to 1902 no method had been published, so far as can be 

 learned, whereby one might be able to obtain with uniformity the 

 germination of Agaricus campestris. It is quite certain that Chev- 

 reul and others obtained at best only erratic results. Nevertheless, 

 as early as 1893 Costantin and Matruchot ^ annomiced that a method 

 had been developed bj^ them whereby they were able to germinate the 



a Ferguson, M. C. A Preliminary Study of the Germination of the Spores of 

 Agaricus Campestris and Other Basidiomyce^ jUS Fungi. Bulletin No. 16, Bu- 

 reau of Plant Industry, V. S. Dept. Agriculture, pp. 1-4.*^. 1002. 



& Costantin and Matruchot. Nouveau i)roci'd(' de culture du champignon de 

 couche. Compt. Rend, de I'Acad. des Sci., 117 (2) : 70-72. (Compare, also. 

 Bui. Soc. de Biol., 2 December, 1893.) 



