14 MUSHROOM GROWING AND SPAWN MAKING. 



spores and to grow in pure culture the mycelium of Ar/ariru.<^ earn- 

 pestris. Information concerning the details of the method emploj^ed 

 Avas avoided in the reports of this announcement and in subsequent 

 references to the process.** In the first announcement the method is 

 stated as follows : 



Method followed. — The spores are collected free from contaminations, arid 

 in order to preserve them in that condition are sown on a certain sterilized 

 nutritive medium. We obtain in this manner a twisted mycelium which con- 

 stitutes pure spawn. By repeated -cultures on an identical substratum the 

 spawn can be multiplied indefinitely, and is transferred at a proper time to 

 sterilized manui'e, where it develops abundantly in several weeks. At that 

 stage it possesses the characteristic appearance and odor of natural spawn. 

 It can then be sown in a bed of ordinary manure, to which it adheres and where 

 it grows and fruits normally. 



In the later paper cited, writing of the recent improvements in 

 mushroom culture, Costantin expresses himself as follows: 



We have succeeded in manufacturing an artificial spawai obtained from the 

 spore germinated on a medium free from contamination. It is then pure 

 spawm. We can state further that it is virgin spawn. 



In 1897 Eepin ^ claimed to have independently arrived at results 

 similar to those obtained by Costantin and Matruchot. Concerning 

 his germination studies he says : 



It is only recently that the study of this question has been renewed, inde- 

 pendently and simultaneously by Costantin and Matruchot. 



There is nothing unusual in the germination of the spores of Agaricus. 

 Spores can be germinated on media such as used in bacteriology, on wet sand, 

 or in moist air as well as on manure. Without doubt, germination is not pro- 

 duced with the same spontaneity and rapidity as in the case of the si)ores of 

 lower fungi, which fact makes it necessary to promote the process by some 

 artifices, but they are only sleight-of-hand tricks, variable according to the 

 operators, and which are acquired after some unsuccessful attempts. The 

 spores which should germinate (and these are always in the minority) begin 

 by swelling. This very simple method makes it possible to obtain virgin 

 spawn at pleasure. It is ai)plied industrially in the manufacture of spawn of 

 Agaricus from cultures which I have made. 



So far as the writer has been able to ascertain, therefore, no descrip- 

 tion of the method employed by the above writers is to be found. The 

 report of Miss Ferguson's work is accordingly the only available 

 scientific record defining the conditions under which germination 

 had been constantly obtained up to this time. 



Experimental work. — The writer has been able to confirm Miss Fer- 

 guson's work repeatedly, and at the same time numerous series of 

 experiments have been made to test further the possibility of influenc- 



o Constantin. ,1. La culture du champignon de couche et ses recent perfection- 

 nements. Extrait du Revue Scientifique. April, 1894. 



6 Repin. C. Le blanc vierge de semis pour la culture du champignon de 

 couche. Revue Uencrale des Sciences. (September 15, 1897.) 



